Yuzu's Journey
by whackybiscuit
Summary: Curious to where Ichigo keeps going off, Yuzu follows him to Urahara's and winds up going through the senkaimon into the Soul Society, sparking a journey that will lead her to a budding friendship with a certain captian... YuzuXSoi-Fon. Implied IchigoXRukia
1. Chapter 1

Yuzu's Journey  
Chapter 1: Through the Senkaimon

 **A.N.: For the record, I set this at this particular point because I'm not sure if Yuzu actually knows Ichigo is a soul reaper. She can see spirits, to be sure, but I'm not sure if she knew the truth, so if this is inaccurate, I apologize. It's just that I've wanted to do a Yuzu story for a long time and this seemed like a good place to start.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **After Ichigo's powers are restored….  
**_ **Karakura Town**

"La dee da…" Yuzu sang as she walked down the street, a bag of groceries in hand, still in her school uniform. Her father had asked her to get some food for tonight since he was too busy with patients and Karin was busy with soccer practice. She would have asked Ichigo but for some reason he had kept wandering off lately.

The thought of her brother made Yuzu's face turn sad. She loved her brother to death but she felt like she was being pushed further and further out of his life for some reason. Every now and again he'd disappear for days at a time, only giving half-assed explanations and excuses to where he's been. Yuzu suspected that Ichigo was seeing a girl and had tried to follow him, but every time she did so he'd vanished the moment he rounded a corner and was out of her sight.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Yuzu looked up at the sky with sad, lonely eyes. "Ichigo. Just what are you doing?" This was almost as bad as the time he was gone for a whole month and returned badly injured. Yuzu had been worried sick and the sight of her strong and kind brother in such a horrible state reduced her to tears, never wanting to leave Ichigo's side. Things had gotten better in the past seventeen months, Ichigo spending more time with them. But it seemed that now Ichigo had relapsed into his old ways and it saddened his sister.

She continued to look at the sky and sigh in despair until she saw something jump across the rooftop. "What's that?" she pondered out loud, her eyes squinting. "Wait…that's…." She couldn't see clearly but it was a figure robed in black with a large sword on his back.

And he had orange hair.

"Ichigo!" She cried out his name but the boy moved too fast. "Where's he going?" she wondered. "More importantly, _HOW_ is he doing that?" the perplexed brunette asked.

Taking off after him, Yuzu tried her best to keep up with her brother, taking shortcuts down alleys and even cutting through people's yards as she struggled to keep her brother in sight. Thankfully Ichigo did not bother to use the Flashstep otherwise Yuzu's search would've been in vain. Just when Yuzu's lungs were going to give out from exhaustion, she saw Ichigo head inside a building. "Urahara Shop? But that's where Jinta and Ururu live!" She was familiar with the children who worked there, watching them play soccer with Karin. "He's buying candy?"

Sneaking into the shop, Yuzu looked around and saw nobody. "Huh, wonder where everyone is? Oh no!" she gasped. "Ichigo's not stealing anything, is he?" Unbeknownst to her, Urahara and his gang had gone to the park for a picnic, leaving the shop open for Ichigo and inadvertently letting Yuzu in. Searching the rooms, Yuzu came upon a trapdoor and decided that that was where Ichigo had gone.

A big surprise waited Yuzu at the bottom. A very big surprise. "This place is huge!" she exclaimed as she looked upon Kisuke's underground training chamber. "How can a place like this be underground?"

Her musings were cut off when she caught sight of Ichigo from a distance, the boy standing in front of a rectangular gate-like object. "Ichigo!" Yuzu called out, running to him, but her voice never reached him, her brother passing through Kisuke's Senkaimon.

Reaching the gate, Yuzu pondered for a minute what she should do. Should she wait for Ichigo to return? ' _But whenever Ichigo leaves he doesn't come back for days. What if he leaves now and never comes back? I could be waiting forever.'_ She shook her head. ' _No. I…I want to know where he's going. I'm going in.'_

Praying that her mother was watching over her, the schoolgirl stepped into the Senkaimon…

…And stepped out into the Precipice World. "What is this place?" Yuzu gasped, hugging her arms as she looked around. "This place looks like something out of a nightmare!" The area was dark, with just enough lighting to let Yuzu see where she was going. The walls were flowing in an odd goo-like current, making Yuzu gulp as she walked along the path. What terrified her more were the bones that littered the ground. "Where am I? And where's Ichigo?" She soon decided that this place was too scary and ran forward, hoping that she'd catch up with her brother. She walked for a short until she saw an opening of light, running towards it. To her relief, she saw the bright blue sky open up to her as she exited the portal…only to realize that she was high up in the air with nothing to stand on!

"KYAAAAAA!" Yuzu screamed as she fell from the sky, a victim of Kisuke's ridiculous joke of falling out of the sky. Luckily for the girl she landed through a large tree and she was able to snag onto a branch. Yuzu's light weight as not enough to keep it from breaking though, forcing her to land in some bushes. "Owwwww!" Yuzu cried, her school uniform getting to from the fall. "At least I'm ok. But where am I?" She looked around and was puzzled by her surroundings. It looked like she'd literally fallen back in time to feudal Japan. "What is this place?" she said stepping out of the bushes. "Did I go through a time portal or something?"

"Hey you!"

Yuzu whirled around and saw a large thuggish man walking toward her. He was bald and wearing a similar outfit to the one Ichigo wore; only his had an armband with the number eleven on it.

And he was armed with a sword.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" the large brute roared. Yuzu trembled at the sight of the man. "Answer me right now, little girl!"

"I…I don't' know!" Yuzu quickly said, walking backwards, afraid for her life. "I don't know where I am!"

The man sneered down at her, not buying it. "Liar! Nobody comes into the Seireitei without proper authorization! That makes you a Ryoka! And Ryokas…" Yuzu's blood chilled when she saw him draw his sword. "Are to be killed!"

"KYAAAAAA!" Yuzu screamed as she ran away from the man, wishing she'd never followed Ichigo through that portal. She didn't get very far when the man grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me! Someone help me!" she screamed out loud.

"Hmph, calling for help, Ryoka?" the stupid mad sneered. "Not like it'll do you any good!" His arm arched up to make the fatal cut to Yuzu when the girl remembered all those lessons that her father and Karin taught her.

…So she kicked him square in the balls.

"Gahhh!" the man screamed, crumbling to the ground as he let go of Yuzu. Yuzu darted off in the direction, scared out of her wits. Unfortunately she rounded a corner and saw another group of black-clad people standing around at the end of the street. The group of people turned and looked at the strange girl confused before they heard the Squad eleven officer shout. "Get her! She's a Ryoka!"

Having had nothing but trouble from Ryoka, the men charged at her. Yuzu screamed as she ran into a nearby alley, looking around for a place to hide. "This place is horrible! Who are these people?!" She saw her chance when she saw a small window opened. It was small enough just for her to squeeze through. Taking her chances, Yuzu crawled into the small shack and closed the window before any of the men could enter the alleyway. Looking around, Yuzu saw that she was inside a small storage room filled with crates. Hearing voices outside, Yuzu opened up a small crate and quickly got inside it. She cried tears of fear as she heard voices from outside as the men searched for her. "What is this place? Ichigo, where are you? I'm scared!"

But soon the voices ceased and she popped her head out of the crate, seeing nobody enter the shack. "Looks like they're gone…." She looked around and saw that the shack was filled with clothing. "Maybe I should wear something so that I can blend in…." Getting out of the crate, Yuzu started to rifle through boxes and crates….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad 1: Head-Captain's chambers**

"Sir, reports are coming in of a Ryoka having been spotted!" Lieutenant Sasakibe announced to the captains assembled. "Search parties have already been deployed." Of the thirteen captains only seven were present. Soi-Fon, Rose, Kenpachi, Kensei, Kurotsuchi, Hitsugaya and Shinji were not present, out on their own assignments.

Yamamoto scowled. "How could we let an intruder in to the Seireitei? Has there been any disturbance at the gates?"

"No sir. There has been none. We're still investigating at this time."

Ukitake frowned. "A Ryoka? How in the world could they've possibly gotten in without using the gates?"

Byakuya turned to Lieutenant Sasakibe. "Has there been any description on the Ryoka? Or how many?"

"We've only gotten preliminary reports but they indicate a single intruder: a young woman."

Komamura turned to the Head-Captain. "From what the reports have shown us, it's in all likelihood that the intruder doesn't know where she is and is scared of her surroundings. She should be taken into custody peacefully so that we may ascertain where she came from."

"I agree, Captain Komamura," Kyoraku added. "Besides, hurting little girls hasn't exactly been our style, even if she is a Ryoka."

The Head-Captain nodded. "Very well, this order goes out to all captains. Please inform those not present, Captain Kyoraku. This Ryoka is to be found immediately and she is not to be harmed until we are given reason that she is a threat to us!"

 _ **Meanwhile….**_

"Teeheehee!" Yuzu giggled as she looked down at herself. "Cool! I look just like a ninja!"

She was dressed in the garb of the stealth force, wearing a tight fitting black outfit that had a mask that covered her face, a dark sash around her waist and her feet covered in black _tabi_. "I should have no problem fitting in as long as nobody sees my face. I should try to find Ichigo…" Taking her torn school uniform she placed it inside another empty box, making a note to come back here later to fetch it. Heading out the door she remembered something critical she was still missing. "I need a sword like those people…" she said glumly. She hated weapons and violence but she knew she had to blend in.

Rummaging through more crates, she came upon a large box labeled "Asauchi". Inside was an entire arsenal of swords. "There's so many…" Yuzu reached into the box and dug through it until she found a suitable sword for her tiny size: a _wakizashi_ with a purple hilt and a round guard. Putting it on her side, Yuzu stepped outside and looked around. "Ok…now to find my big brother." A weird thing she noticed as she looked around; when she first arrived here the area seemed blurry, as if she was looking at the world through a fogged lens but now she was starting to see things more clearly.

"You there!"

Yuzu gulped and turned around, wondering if her disguise had been blown. A small, yet fearsome-looking woman walked up to her. Yuzu could feel sweat as the woman's hard gaze fell upon her. The woman was wearing a white coat over her black garment with a yellow sash. Yuzu saw long braids clinking behind her black hair, large yellow rings attached to the ends. On her back was a short sword affixed to her. "Um…yes ma'am?" she asked, scared.

"You're the new rookie for the Punishment Force, correct?"

' _Punishment Force? What kind of place is this? What would Ichigo be doing in a place like this?'_ "Um…yes ma'am?" Yuzu said hesitantly. She had no idea what was going on but knew she had to run with it or risk being discovered.

The woman scowled at the woman, making her sweat through her outfit. "Rookie, my name is not Ma'am. You will address me as Captain. Understand?" she barked in a harsh voice, making Yuzu flinch.

"Yes, ma'-I mean, yes, Captain."

The Captain crossed her arms as she assessed the young girl in front of her. "Hmph. You don't look like much. We'll see how you do out in the field today, Rookie. What's your name?"

"Um…Yuzu."

Captain turned around. "Well, Yuzu, come with me. You're going to be a part of my group today. We'll be hunting hollows near the gates. I want to see what you're capable of, Rookie."

"Yes, Captain…."

Yuzu followed the woman as she led her away from the shack, wondering what fate had in store for her. As they walked, a million questions entered Yuzu's head.

' _Where am I?_

 _Who are these people?_

 _Where on earth is Ichigo in this place?_

 _…And what in the world is a hollow?'_

To Be Continued….

 **A.N.: I think we all have a VERY good notion of how this is going to play out…or maybe not, I might just surprise everybody. We'll see….**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _ **Thirty Minutes Later….  
**_ **Rukon District; near the Seireitei's gates**

Yuzu panted as she struggled to keep up with the group, hoping that her disguise wasn't about to be blown. She'd no idea who these people were but she was hoping for a chance to break away from the group to find her brother. However, her "Captain" had insisted on Yuzu sticking close to her so she could make sure she didn't wind up being eaten so finding a moment to sneak off was easier said than done. She had no idea where they were going or who on earth these people were but she knew that for the moment she was stuck with them.

The group halted at the top of a small hill when they heard a loud roar, making Yuzu shudder. ' _What was that?_ ' The Captain looked around as if she was trying to eye whatever made the sound through the trees until her eyes narrowed and she pointed to the east. "There! Its spiritual pressure is coming from over there!"

' _Spiritual pressure?'_ wondered a confused Yuzu. ' _Although, come to think of it…ever since I got here I've been feeling weird….'_ She looked down at her hands and wondered why she kept feeling like there was something inside her that was trying to come out, like a caged bird rattling its rusty cage. ' _What's going on with me? Does it have to do with this weird place?'_

"ROOKIE! KEEP UP!"

Yuzu looked up and saw that the group had already started to leave. Seeing the angry look on the Captain's face, Yuzu quickly hurried after them. She ran up next to the captain who was looking at her with disapproving eyes, making Yuzu feel a little weary. "You need to keep your eyes on point. Don't stop to think about anything trivial. This might be your first time encountering a hollow with a group, but if you don't focus you'll end up dead," she instructed.

Yuzu gulped.

Another roar, louder than the one from before, echoed throughout the forest, as well as a scream. Yuzu's eyes recognized it as a child's scream and it made her fearful for herself. ' _Just what in the world is a Hollow?'_

When she and the Captain entered a clearing, she soon got her answer…. Yuzu's blood turned to ice when she caught sight of the monster. It was massive, easily the size of her house. The mammoth creature had four huge arms, each one throwing punches to the attacking Soul Reapers. The hollow's two feet were in the shape of terrifying hooves, each looking like the slightest motion could cause the earth to shake. Its head was even more terrifying. The creature wore a bone-white mask that was in the shape of a monstrous ogre, three eyes staring down at the group. To Yuzu's shock, she saw that between the hollow's feet was a small child; a little girl crying out for help.

The Captain stepped forward and drew her sword. "Ayane, Bosche! You keep that thing distracted. Noyarre! Try to use your kido to bind it so I can finish it off. Rookie!" Yuzu jolted as her head cocked in her direction. "While we're distracting it, you get the child away from it before it decides to have it for lunch. AND WHY ISN'T YOUR SWORD DRAWN, ROOKIE?!"

With teeth chattering in fright, Yuzu drew her small sword, not sure what to do since she'd never held a sword before. "So-sorry, Captain!"

"Hmph…should've let Omaeda handle this if I knew you were going to be useless…" The Captain said with steel in her words, making Yuzu's eyes drop with sadness. ' _You don't have to be so mean about it….'_

In a blink, the four Soul Reapers vanished, leaving Yuzu confused at what the heck just happened. She soon realized what was going on when two of the bigger men started to attack the hollow, striking at its huge arms while the third Soul Reaper, a woman with a lanky and frail-looking body, stood back, muttering to herself.

Remembering what the Captain told her, Yuzu dashed forward towards the little girl at the hollows feet, the child too scared to move out of fear of being crushed. ' _Ok, Yuzu…just…just pretend this is one of Karin's video games and you're just facing a boss. Just…'_ Yuzu struggled to think as she got closer to the hollow, feeling fear take her. '… _Just come around from behind and grab the little girl and run!'_

Mentally chanting that last sentence to herself, Yuzu ran around the hollow and tried to find an opening. The little girl between its legs remained motionless, curled up into a ball as she cried. Yuzu was almost knocked off her feet as she got closer to it. The attacking Soul Reapers made it take a step back and the earth seemed to shake from its stomp. Sweating beneath her outfit, Yuzu made a mad dash for the little girl, running underneath the huge hollow. Reaching the little girl, Yuzu quickly crouched down. "Are you ok?"

The little girl, who only looked about seven or eight years old in terms of age with a head of short, brown hair, looked up with red, puffy eyes. "Please help me!" she pleaded with a tiny, squeaky voice. "I'm scared…."

Yuzu scooped up the child and held her close. "It's ok. My name's Yuzu. I'll get you out of here."

"Are you a Soul Reaper?"

' _Is that what these people are?'_ "Um…yes, I am." Turning around, Yuzu began to make a dash for the forest.

"ARRRRRGH!"

Yuzu turned her head to see one of the bigger Soul Reapers get punched into a tree, her eyes widening with horror. The same fate befell his companion, only for the Captain to catch the man and glare at the hollow. The creature turned its attention to the woman chanting and stomped his foot. Her concentration broken by the shaking earth, Noyarre tumbled to the ground with a curse, her kido spell failing her. The rumble of the earth caused Yuzu to lose her footing, causing her to stumble and fall. Her arms wrapped around the girl as they rolled onto the hard earth, Yuzu's sword lying nearby after having been let loose from the girl's grasp.

The hollow turned its attention to Yuzu and the child. " _ **Well now!**_ " it said in a deep, booming voice. " _ **Some more toys to play with! I hope that you put up more of a fight then those three, little Soul Reaper.**_ " Yuzu's eyes watered up as it thundered over to her with its heavy stomps….

"Sting all enemies to death: Suzumebachi!"

Yuzu's crying eyes widened when she saw the Captain jump into the air, her sword transforming into a gold and yellow gauntlet with a sharp stinger on her middle finger. ' _Her sword can transform? Cool!'_

Soi-Fon stabbed at the hollow's back, expecting to feel the satisfying feel of her stinger sinking into the hollow's flesh, only for the stinger to bounce off harmlessly! ' _Impossible! Its hide is too tough for Suzumebachi to pierce?'_ the Captain thought in shock. Her shock didn't last long as the hollow hauled off and backhanded her into the ground, leaving her in the middle of a large crater.

"Captain!" shouted a scared Yuzu. Her heart almost stopped when she saw the hollow turn its attention towards her. ' _WHAT DO I DO?! ICHIGO! KARIN! DAD! MOM! SOMEBODY SAVE ME!'_

She couldn't see past its mask but she had the feeling that the hollow was smiling sadistically down at her. " _ **What's the matter, little Soul Reaper? Is running scared all you're capable of? Well no matter…**_ " the hollow said as it reached for her. " _ **You'll be just another Soul Reaper I've devoured in a few minutes!"**_

 __Yuzu dashed towards her sword and grabbed it. As the massive hand drew closer Yuzu slashed wildly at it. But the sword glanced off the hollow's thick hide like a spitball, making her stumble backward again. ' _It's gonna kill me! Ichigo! Save me!'_

But as the hollow hovered over her and stared down with evil eyes, it finally dawned on Yuzu: Ichigo wasn't going to save her. This thing was going to kill her. That realization caused something inside her to come bursting through, as if waiting for that precise moment to come forth….

' _No…'_

Soi-Fon, who'd been hurrying to help her Rookie, was shocked as the small girl's body pulsed with blue spirit energy. "What is she…."

' _No…'_

Clutching her sword, Yuzu's eyes burned with bravery as she slashed at the hollow. This time her sword managed to cut through the hollow's hand. The hollow screamed as two of its massive fingers hit the ground. " _ **What the hell?!**_ "

' _NO! I WILL NOT DIE HERE!'_

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yuzu screamed as she charged, jumping high into the air. "TAKE THIS!" she shouted. The hollow screamed in agony as her sword sliced through his mask like a pineapple, its body beginning to disintegrate.

" _ **ARRRRRRRRGH!**_ " it screamed, giving one last death cry before fading away.

Panting, Yuzu hit the ground and lowered her sword, wondering what just happened. She looked down at herself and wondered why her body felt so… _charged._ "Wow…what was that?" she panted.

Yuzu almost jumped out of her skin when she felt something wrap around her leg. Looking down, she saw the little girl hugging her, tears running down her tiny face. "You did it! You saved me!" she sobbed happily. Smiling at the little girl, Yuzu crouched down and hugged her.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh huh…."

"You should get back to your mom and dad. They must be worried sick," Yuzu said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Sniffling, the little girl shook her head. "I haven't seen my mom and dad since I died and came to the Soul Society. I've been staying with a nice lady who treats me like her daughter though."

The little girl's words confused Yuzu. ' _What? Wait…is this…is this…the afterlife?'_

A hand grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her up off her feet. "I thought I told you to grab the girl and flee! I never gave you permission to engage!" Captain said with glaring eyes.

"I…I…" Yuzu stammered as she felt very hot under the collar right then.

"Hmph! Fine then. Still, that was an impressive attack. I see you have a little potential, if only barely." Soi-Fon turned to the child and her expression softened. "You should be getting back home, little girl."

The child nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Giving Yuzu one last hug, the little girl started to run into the forest. "Bye, Yuzu!" she called back waving. Yuzu waved back before seeing the disapproving look on the Captain's face.

The short woman turned and headed for the direction of the Seireitei, the three other officers joining her. "Move out. We're leaving." Yuzu nodded before running to catch them, wondering where they were going….

 _ **Several Hours Later….  
**_ **Squad 2: Punishment Force's Mess Hall**

Yuzu sat down on the mat, a tray of food in front of her. It'd been a little awkward for her when she walked in with the Captain. She'd been expecting somebody to shout at any minute "Hey! She's not one of us!" or "Wait a minute, she's that Ryoka!", not that she still understood what a Ryoka was.

But if anything, most of the people in the barracks didn't give her much notice, the few who did pointed out how tiny she was compared to the rest of them but other than that she met no resistance. Following the others, she walked into the mess hall where her stomach decided to growl its appreciation that there was food in sight. Yuzu remembered how she was supposed to have gotten groceries for her family and remembered that her first priority was escaping this weird bizarro-land. ' _Dad and Karin must be wondering where I am… I hope they're alright….'_

Once again she thought of her brother and wondered where he was. She was so timid and afraid of blowing her cover she barely spoke to anyone despite the need to ask if they'd seen a boy with orange hair. ' _If I can just find Ichigo, then maybe I can find a way out of this place.'_ Her thoughts were interrupted by her growling stomach. ' _…Maybe some food first….'_

The girl looked around and to her dismay saw that the only spot in the mess hall not taken was the one next to the Captain; apparently nobody had the bravery to sit next to her. Yuzu gulped but decided to risk it. ' _She seems scary…'_ Yuzu thought as she sat down next to her. The Captain paid her no mind as she continued to eat her meal in silence which Yuzu was thankful for. Luckily for Yuzu she saw that most of the men and women present had yet to remove their masks, only moving them up to uncover their mouths. Following their example, Yuzu uncovered her mouth and grabbed the chopsticks, putting a clump of rice in her mouth…and sorely wished she hadn't. ' _This stuff tastes terrible…'_ she thought glumly as she continued to eat the food on her tray. ' _I really need to head home so I can eat something with flavor.'_

"Rookie."

Yuzu almost jumped out of her skin when the Captain turned to address her. "Y-yes, Captain?"

"Tell me something. Why didn't you do as I instructed earlier today?" the Captain asked with judgmental eyes.

Yuzu suddenly felt her mouth go dry but found the words after a few moments. "I…I saw everyone get hurt and I…I just froze up…."

The disguised girl wanted to curl up and cry from the look on the Captain's face. "I can see that the academy botched this one when they assigned you to my squad. I've no need for little girls who freeze up at the first sign of trouble. That little display of power may have impressed other captains but if that's what it takes for you to grow a spine then you're useless to me." And with that, the Captain stood up and walked out. Yuzu was close to tears from her icy words. ' _You…you don't have to be such a bully about it!'_ was what she wanted to say. ' _I'm not even supposed to be here!'_

A bell rang and everyone stood up. Following their lead, Yuzu followed the black-clad people into a room filled with sleeping mats. Looking out the window, Yuzu could see the moon start to creep up into the night sky and realized how late it had gotten. Everyone in the room removed their masks and crawled onto their mats. Yuzu looked around and saw that there was one left untouched by the far corner. Deciding to get some sleep before slipping away in the middle of the night, Yuzu lay down on it, not even bothering to take her mask off out of fear somebody would spot her. She gave a tiny groan from the hard mat she laid upon. ' _This is way too hard!'_ she said, her eyes starting to water as her exhausted body took its toll on her. ' _I want to be in my own bed! I want to go home!'_

With uneasy thoughts rummaging through her mind, Yuzu fell into a restless sleep….

 _ **Several Hours Later….**_

 __As quietly as she could, Yuzu sneaked out the window, her tiny size again allowing her to squeeze through the opening unabated. Looking around, she saw that there were few people about but nobody resembling a guard. "Okay…I just have to try to find Ichigo. Somebody must know where he is…."

Tiptoeing softly around the corner, Yuzu saw the gate to the squad's entrance, leading to a flight of stairs leading down that Yuzu had previously walked up while following the others. "Ok, I just got to get out of here. I'll find one of those black kimonos that those other guys are wearing to help blend in instead of this ninja outfit."

Looking around, Yuzu tiptoed over to the gates and saw that nobody was around. "Whew! There's no guards. I wonder why?" she wondered aloud as she walked over to it.

"What makes you think I need guards to keep people from slipping in and out of my squad?"

Yuzu was close to screaming when she turned around and saw the Captain literally behind her, about a foot away from the scared human. "Captain!" She suddenly realized how this must've looked to her. "I uh…."

"Quitting already after one day?" The Captain looked at Yuzu with scornful eyes. "I don't think so, Rookie. Nobody leaves my squad without my permission." Yuzu yelped when the Captain grabbed her by the arm and started to pull her away from the gates. "It'd seem that I'll need to correct your little insubordination and teach you the error of your ways…."

The Captain dragged Yuzu to her private training grounds and shoved her into the middle of it. Yuzu wanted to beg and plead for mercy but had the feeling that she was going to get none from the woman. The woman walked around to her front and tossed her Yuzu's sword which landed at her feet. "Pick it up, Rookie," the short woman commanded. "We're going to stamp out that cowardice of yours with a little training."

Shaking from head to toe, Yuzu picked up the Asauchi. Thankfully for her she did actually know the bare basics of swordsmanship, taking classes at the dojo where Ichigo sparred with Tatsuki for a few weeks now. Unsheathing it, she took up a stance.

The black-haired captain didn't even bother to draw her sword. In her eyes, Yuzu was no threat whatsoever. Yuzu gasped as the woman vanished from her sight, reappearing as if by magic directly in front of her. The woman grabbed Yuzu's sword and yanked it from her grasp. "GAH!" went Yuzu when the Captain socked her in the stomach, crumbling to her knees. ' _OWW! I feel sick…'_ Yuzu tried hard not to throw up in her mask. Looking up, she saw that the captain was holding her sword's handle out for her.

"We're going to go until you learn to think on your feet and not freeze up, Rookie. If you haven't learned by sunrise, then I'll improvise my tactics with something a little more creative."

 _ **Hours Later….**_

 __As the sun rose on the Seireitei, Yuzu felt like she was going to pass out. This woman was the absolute worst! Her head had been thumped enough time she was sure she had brain damage and she'd almost vomited into her mask multiple times. She was pretty sure that at least one of her ribs might have been damaged by the Captain's punches and she thought that she had a black eye. Still, she was making progress. Her eyes were beginning to follow the Captain's movements and she could dodge just enough so that the blow was limited to a graze.

The Captain smiled for the first time as Yuzu managed to dodge a punch to the face. "Very good. You're learning, Rookie." Flexing her fingers, the Captain reached into her outfit and pulled out a small bag. "Take off your mask so I can treat your black eye," she instructed. Gulping nervously, Yuzu removed her mask, hoping for the best.

Thankfully for her, the Captain had made it a note to remember names and voices but not faces since most of her men's faces were always obscured so she was unaware that the little girl in front of her was the Ryoka being sought after by half the Seireitei. It didn't even make a blip on her radar by how young she was; she was even younger in terms of looks when she started serving Lady Yoruichi. Reaching into the bag, the woman dipped her fingers into a thick, white paste-like substance and rubbed it against her swollen eye. To Yuzu's relief, her eye's swelling started to recede and the pain faded away. Pointing to a bench, the Captain made Yuzu sit down while she treated her injuries. It made Yuzu blush when she ordered her to lift up her shirt but her bruises were soon treated and bandaged. "I'm sorry for earlier…" Yuzu hesitantly muttered.

The woman nodded. "Glad to see you're learning. But you've still got a long way to go before your combat-ready, Rookie. You're to return to quarters and rest. Come back here later tonight and I'll continue your lessons."

"Lessons?" Yuzu asked. ' _This is so weird. I thought she hated me?'_

The captain gave a smirk that made her want to shiver. "You're not getting off the hook that easily, Rookie. Like I said, nobody tries to jump ship from my squad without learning their lesson. By the time I'm done with you, I'll have made you into something worth taking with me on missions. Until then, you're dismissed _."_

 _'Wow…she's actually kinda nice…._ ' Yuzu thought as she limped back to the barracks, not paying the hard mat any mind as she fell asleep, too tired to think of her brother or anything else….

To be continued….


	3. Chapter 3

Yuzu's Journey  
Chapter 3

 **A.N.: Aceina, I wrote this BEFORE the timeskip was revealed.**

 _ **The Next Afternoon….  
**_ **Squad 2 Barracks  
Yuzu POV**

"Wake up, Rookie!"

A harsh kick woke Yuzu up, who sat up and looked around, wondering if she was late for school. When she saw the Captain standing next to her small sleeping mat, she realized that everything that happened yesterday was no dream. "Cap…captain?"

"On your feet, Rookie." Captain turned around and headed out the door. "It's time for your training."

Yuzu's stomach growled but she decided not to voice her hunger. Following the stern woman out of the building, she passed by the gates and she thought about making a break for it to try to find Ichigo. She didn't belong here and the more she stayed the more her family was probably getting worried about her.

Making their way to Captain's training grounds, Yuzu took a deep breath and readied herself. The woman turned around and removed her coat. Yuzu stared at the woman's body, the kind of body that her sister, Karin, would want, small yet toned and strong. ' _Wow…she must really train hard….'_

"Draw your sword, Rookie. Same lesson as last night." Soi-Fon got into a fighting stance. "Your stance is too weak." She disappeared from Yuzu's sight and punched her in the gut. As Yuzu fell to the ground she was kicked in the face by the Captain and sent sprawling. Sighing in exasperation, the Captain crossed her arms and scowled at the girl. "Your reflexes are slow, your stance is weak and easily breakable. And your reaction time is nonexistent. I've got my work cut out today…."

' _Ohhhhh…."_ Yuzu rubbed her bruised cheek before getting to her feet. "Yes, Captain…."

"Good to see you can at least get back on your feet after taking a few hits. Last night a stiff breeze would've knocked you over." She readied herself as Yuzu got back into position, drawing her sword.

"Now, let's continue."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Urahara Shop: Underground Chamber**

Isshin rushed through the trapdoor into the massive chamber beneath the shop. He was in his Soul Reaper form and his body was covered in sweat from frantically searching all night and day for his little girl. He saw Kisuke and Yoruichi at the entrance of Kisuke's Senkaimon and hurried over to them. "Kisuke! Please tell me you have something!" Isshin begged, panting when he stopped in front of them. "I've turned this city upside down and there's still no sign of Yuzu!"

Yoruichi crossed her arms. "I can't find her either. Is it possible that the arrancars kidnapped her to get back at Ichigo?"

"No. She's not in the Human World, but she's not in Hueco Mundo."

Both Isshin and Yoruichi turned to see Kisuke standing in front of his Senkaimon. "I helped Yoruichi search for Yuzu but came up with nothing. When I came down here to send a message to Ichigo in the Soul Society, I found these next to my Senkaimon…."

In his hand was Yuzu's grocery bag.

All of the color in Isshin's face faded as he stared at the bag. "You mean…Yuzu's… _in the SOUL SOCIETY!_ "

Yoruichi's eyes widened. "What is she doing there?"

Kisuke took off his hat and sighed. "This is just an educated guess but…I suspect that Yuzu must've saw Ichigo enter the shop, most likely in his Soul Reaper form, and watched him go through the gate before going in behind him."

Isshin shook his head. "We have to go in after her! You know how the Soul Reapers are when it comes to intruders! She'll be killed!"

Yoruichi put a hand on his shoulder. "Isshin, calm down-"

"HOW CAN I KEEP CALM?!" Isshin roared into her face.

"Take a minute to breathe. Getting emotional isn't going to help Yuzu." The werecat turned to Kisuke. "Kisuke, have you been in contact with the Soul Society?"

"Barely," Kisuke sadly said. "I spoke with Akon briefly for about a minute. Apparently they're trying to find her but have yet to locate her. Then Mayuri Kurotsuchi saw that Akon was speaking to me and killed the connection before I could tell him that the Ryoka they've been looking for was Yuzu…."

"Does Ichigo know?" Isshin asked.

Kisuke shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I haven't been able to contact him since he left. He must be in his little secret cabin in the woods with Rukia."

Isshin bristled in anger. "Damn it, Ichigo!" he said to nobody in particular. "You sure picked a hell of a time for a booty call!" He stalked over to the Senkaimon. "I'm going in there! I'll find her."

He was almost to the Senkaimon when Yoruichi stopped him. "Isshin, wait! Have you forgotten that you vanished without a trace? If you pop up out of nowhere it'll cause all sorts of problems. I will go in and find Yuzu and get her out of there. I can be discreet."

"And I will keep trying to get in touch with Ichigo," Kisuke said. "You need to be here for when she returns and you need to be here for Karin."

Taking a deep breath, Isshin slowly nodded, forced to admit that he was useless in this matter. Turning to Yoruichi, he looked at his friend with begging eyes. "Please find my little girl," he pleaded with the fear of a father.

Yoruichi hugged the man. "I will. I'll be back as soon as I find her." And with that, Yoruichi charged into the Senkaimon.

Kisuke flipped his fan open and stared at the distraught Isshin, not sure if he should bring it up now or later. "Isshin, there is also one other matter that's been bugging me…."

"What is it?" Isshin asked.

Sighing, Kisuke sat down on a rock. "It occurred to me as soon as I found out that Yuzu had passed through my gate. My Senkaimon has a reishi convergence device attached that changes matter into reishi, remember?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"If that's the case, then when Yuzu entered the Soul Society, an area abundant in Reishi, she became a spiritual entity. And if she has the same inborn abilities that Ichigo has and if she were to be given a big enough mental shock…"

Isshin followed his train of thought. "Then in a Reishi filled environment…she would develop her Soul Reaper powers!" he gasped. He punched a rock in frustration. He never wanted this for any of his children. Being a Soul Reaper was too much of a responsibility to bear. "This is a nightmare…."

Kisuke put a hand on Isshin's shoulder. "Isshin, it'll be alright. Yuzu's strong like her brother and mother. She'll be okay."

Isshin sighed. "I hope so, Kisuke, but that still doesn't make me feel any better…."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Head-Captain's Chambers**

"This is an outrage!" Yamamoto roared at the captains present. "We cannot apprehend a single Ryoka? How could she have slipped away from the Soul Society?"

Captain Kyoraku shivered from his roar but stepped forward. "We've searched everywhere but the area to look for her is too wide. It's possible that she's disguised herself to blend in. I seem to remember that Orihime Inoue and Uryu Ishida used a similar tactic."

Yamamoto sighed in exasperation. "This is preposterous! We must apprehend this Ryoka quickly, before Squad Zero arrives!"

The captains assembled all gasped. "Squad Zero!" Ukitake gaped. "Why would they be coming here?"

"Every five hundred years, Squad Zero returns to the Seireitei to inspect the Soul Society on behalf of the King," Yamamoto explained. "If they arrive and find that we've been unable to catch a single intruder then it'll be an embarrassment to the squads!" Yamamoto called out to all the captains. "This is an immediate order! All squads are to halt whatever missions they are doing and are to focus their efforts on finding this Ryoka immediately. Force is authorized if she resists!"

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Soi-Fon's training grounds** _ **  
**_ **Yuzu POV** _ **  
**_

__"Ohhhh…" Yuzu groaned in pain as she lay on the ground, more bruises added to her collection. ' _I want to go home now….'_

Captain yanked Yuzu up off the ground and dragged her to the bench again. "You're improving," she said as she sat Yuzu down on the bench and pulled off her mask. The first thing she noticed was Yuzu's grumbling stomach and rolled her eyes. "Rookie, you should've learned in the academy that being in the Stealth Force means fasting for days at a time. You're no good to me if you can't go half a day without eating."

"I'm sorry, Captain…" Yuzu grumbled. ' _Except I never went to this academy you keep talking about!'_ She hoped that her captain would let her leave so she could find her brother but from the looks of things she was going nowhere. She was surprised when the Captain reached into a bag and pulled out a bowl of rice, setting it in her lap. "Captain?"

"Eat," the woman commanded. "You're no use to me if you're about to pass out from starvation." Pulling out a second bowl of her own, the Captain sat down next to her and began to eat. The two girls sat in silence while eating their meal before the Captain turned to her Rookie. "You're improving, Yuzu. I'm impressed."

Yuzu blushed from her acknowledgement. She felt like she'd been run over with a truck but at the same time she did feel stronger. "Thank you, Captain," she said smiling.

Captain smirked. "Don't let it go to your head. You've still got a long ways to go. You haven't even learned your zanpakuto's name yet."

"My zanpakuto?" Yuzu reached and held up her sword. "You mean this?"

"Yes. Your Asauchi has yet for you to learn its name. But if you keep training then one day you'll learn its name."

"You mean like yours?" Yuzu asked curiously. "What's your zanpakuto, Captain?"

"You don't remember?" The Captain drew her sword and ran her hand across it. "Sting all enemies to death: Suzumebachi !" Yuzu watched in fascination as her sword wrapped around her hand, forming a black-and-yellow gauntlet with a stinger attached to her middle finger. "Death in Two Strikes. That is the power of my Suzumebachi."

"Death…in Two Strikes?" asked a fearful Yuzu. The Captain took hold of Yuzu's hand and lightly jabbed the back of it. "Yow!" the little girl shrieked before seeing a butterfly tattoo pop up on her hand. "What is this?"

"The _Homonka_ mark. My Suzumebachi's strike creates that mark. If I strike that mark again, no matter where it is on the body, the person will die. Death in Two Strikes," Captain explained. She waved her hand and the mark disappeared. "But enough talk. It's time to get back to training."

Yuzu sat up, a bit refreshed with some food in her. But she saw that the Captain had yet to seal her Suzumebachi. "Um…Captain? Shouldn't you turn your sword back to normal?"

The Captain smirked. "Not yet, Rookie. This will be a test of evasion. I'll be coming at you with my Suzumebachi. Your goal is to not get hit."

"But you said if it hits me in the same place twice I'll die!"

"Then you should make sure to be extra careful then."

After several hours later, Yuzu had a score of _Homonka_ marks all over her, shaking like a leaf. She knew that the woman was serious and that she needed to make sure that she didn't get hit, lest she die. ' _Don't think, Yuzu, just focus!'_

When the Captain lunged at Yuzu, she concentrated and dodged. But she might've concentrated a little TOO much….

"Ow!" Yuzu groaned as she flew right into a nearby tree, not sure of how she just teleported. "What was that?" she groaned out loud as she struggled to her feet, a huge lump growing on her head. Looking up, she saw the Captain standing there with her hand held out, smiling.

"Barely two days into your training and you've instinctively used the Flash Step," she noted as she helped Yuzu up. "Now I am impressed." She patted Yuzu's head in a kind gesture. "Good work today, Rookie. Go over to the bench so I can treat your injuries."

Yuzu shambled over to the bench and sat down, feeling tired and about to drop. She looked up and saw the moon make its trek across the evening sky. "Dad…Karin…" she murmured, fearful that her family would be at their wits end by now with worry.

"Thinking about home?" Captain asked as she bandaged her arm.

"Yeah…I've…I think they're worried about me…." Yuzu looked up at the woman and she could swear that the older woman was looking at her with knowing eyes. "Do you have family?"

The Captain frowned at the question, feeling that this sort of familiarity with subordinates was unhealthy. And yet…for some strange reason she kind of liked this girl. She was talented to say the least, so she figured that she could relent for one night. "Not anymore. I was raised by my grandmother. Me and my five brothers entered the Stealth Force together but they all died in our earliest missions."

"…I'm sorry…" Yuzu said.

"Don't be." The Captain's face turned stern. "To dwell on the past is a weakness. Remember that." But even as she said that, Yuzu could tell that she still felt much remorse for the loss of her family.

The Captain stood up. "Go get some rest, Yuzu. You made excellent progress today," she said with some pride. Yuzu blushed again as she walked away, clutching her sword tightly.

"Captain…."

Hopping up, Yuzu walked back to the barracks, curling up on her mat as she fell back asleep. Still, she had one last thought before she entered dreamland.

' _She's seems so tough…and yet…so sad.'_

To be continued….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **A.N.: Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **The Next Evening….  
**_ **Rukon District; Cabin in the woods**

Ichigo stood in the doorway of the small cabin, looking out into the open night sky. The little cabin was something that both Yoruichi and Kisuke had helped Ichigo set up; it was his little home-away-from-home.

As for the cabin's other occupant….

"Ichigo…" Rukia said softly as she walked over to Ichigo and laid her hand on his shoulder. The small girl was wearing a white robe that clung loosely to her small but elegant body. Ichigo, meanwhile, only wore his _hakama_ , the result of only caring about their modesty little due to their remote location. Both Ichigo and Rukia had started a hidden relationship ever since Ichigo got his powers back but, knowing how furious Byakuya would be, decided to create a little spot for themselves so they could spend some time with each other. "What's the matter, Ichigo. You've been tense for the past two days."

Ichigo's gaze went from the sky to the ground. "I don't know. I just feel uneasy. That presence I felt the other day…it felt familiar. I wish I could put my finger on it but I can't figure out what it was…." He was interrupted when he felt lips kiss his cheek.

When Ichigo turned his head he saw Rukia smiling at him. "It'sprobably nothing to worry about, Ichigo. If there was something important, Captain Ukitake would've contacted me," she said, cocking a thumb over to her phone. "Why don't I help you relax and take your mind off of things…." Grabbing Ichigo's hand she pulled him back into the cottage. Ichigo closed the door just as their clothes started to hit the floor….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad 13**

"Rukia! Pick up the phone!" Ukitake pleaded as he kept dialing Rukia's number. "Why isn't she answering?" Unfortunately for both Rukia and Ichigo, Rukia had forgotten to remember to charge her phone, so it had ran out of power shortly after the two had arrived at the cabin, leaving them both unaware of the events transpiring near them.

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Soi-Fon's Training Grounds**

Yuzu brought her sword down in a vertical chop the way that Soi-Fon had taught her, feeling stronger and better already. It may have only been her third day undercover as a member of the Stealth Force, but she was starting to get the knack of things. Soi-Fon stood off to the side, monitoring her progress with a look of approval on her face.

Soi-Fon had no idea why but she was starting to become fond of Yuzu. Watching her train, it was almost like she being given a feeling of déjà vu. ' _I wonder if this is how Lady Yoruichi felt when she trained me….'_ Yuzu no longer wore her mask since she was no longer afraid of being discovered. To see her young, pretty face continued to remind Soi-Fon of when she was in her shoes, struggling to fulfill her duty as Lady Yoruichi's bodyguard. She suddenly had flashbacks to her time as Yoruichi's subordinate and gave a small smile. ' _Now that I look at her, she does kinda look like a young me. Is that the reason that I'm so fixated on her?'_ She couldn't remember being so invested in a single recruit before.

Yuzu jumped back and flashstepped away, getting used to the feel of her newly learned Flashstep. While she couldn't go very far in a single step, she was no longer disoriented and she felt stronger. ' _I wonder…does Ichigo know how to do this?'_ she wondered to herself. ' _I wonder where he is in all this….'_ Yuzu still wanted to bolt from Squad 2 to find her brother, or better yet get the hell out of the Soul Society, as she learned where she was. But part of her wanted to stay and learn more about being a Soul Reaper. ' _If I do go home, it's just to get a decent meal…'_ she'd mused that afternoon as she ate her dinner next to Soi-Fon. ' _Maybe I should ask Captain if I could cook for the squad.'_

Spinning around, Yuzu gasped when she saw her "Captain" standing directly behind her. "You're too startled, Rookie," the woman gently admonished, stopping her descending blade by grabbing her wrist. "You need to learn to stay alert."

"Yes, Captain," Yuzu replied, nodding.

"Judging from how you tried to sneak out of the barracks that night, you really don't have the proper training for stealth. It's time I fixed that," the captain said while smiling. She took Yuzu by the hand and led her to a small grove of forests. "I will give you two minutes. I want you to conceal yourself in the forest and make it so that I can't find you."

"So it's like hide-and-seek?"

"Essentially. And just to make sure the lesson sticks…" she smirked as she drew her zanpakuto. "Sting all enemies to death: Suzumebachi!" Yuzu gulped when she saw her sword transformed to its black/yellow stinger and gauntlet. "Every time I catch you, I'll mark you with my Suzumebachi. That should be enough incentive for you to try your best." She pointed into the woods. "Off you go. I'll start looking after two minutes." Nodding, Yuzu ran into the forest, her loud footsteps making Soi-Fon want to facepalm. "I guess the next lesson will have to be about subtlety…."

After two minutes she began to slowly walk through the dark forest, her footsteps silent. ' _Now that I think about it…just who is she? She has no knowledge any of the academy's training. True, she's a remarkably fast learner but she's even more naïve than I was back then.'_ She shook her head roughly. ' _No, I had been trained my whole life to serve Lady Yoruichi. This girl knows next to nothing.'_ Her eyes turned cold when she started to put the facts together. ' _Something about that girl isn't right. It doesn't feel like she's deceiving me but I'm getting that feeling that there's something off. What am I missing?'_ Too preoccupied with training her new rookie, Soi-Fon hadn't really been all that involved in trying to locate the Ryoka that was eluding them, handing over the task to Omaeda, so she was unaware of certain facts about the Ryoka they were looking for.

It wasn't that hard to find Yuzu, hiding in some bushes nearby. A quick jab to her shoulder let her presence be known. "That was hardly what I'd call an effort. This time don't be so obvious," she said, watching as a _Homonka_ mark appeared on her shoulder. Yelping from the pain in her stabbed shoulder, Yuzu took off again, making Soi-Fon roll her eyes once more when she heard her footsteps. "We've got a long way to go…."

 _ **Many hours later….**_

Soi-Fon walked up a hill, on the lookout for Yuzu. Their little game of hide-and-seek had cost Yuzu dearly, her body was now peppered in her zanpakuto's poisonous marks. To her credit, the little girl was getting more and more crafty with each attempt, figuring out the hard way how to use the elements to conceal herself. Soi-Fon walked past a row of small stones sticking up, illuminated by the moonlight. She walked by each one before walking behind the last one and smiled. Tapping the top of the stone, she ran her stinger up its back. "Using the stones and darkness to blend in. Not a bad disguise, Rookie."

"I'm sorry, Captain," Yuzu said as she slowly got up, her face showing the strain of her trying to stay awake. Yuzu was absolutely exhausted to the point where she was trying to keep herself from falling asleep that last attempt. "I don't think I'll ever be able to hide from you…" she weakly said.

The captain sheathed her zanpakuto and smiled at her rookie, the butterfly marks fading on her body. "The point of this wasn't to hide from me. It was to help you learn how to use the environment to your advantage as well as to how conceal your trail. You weren't exactly good at hiding your trail…" she said offhandedly, "But you did get better at hiding yourself using your terrain. You made good progress tonight, Rookie." She sat down on the hill and gestured to the spot next to her. "You look tired. Rest, Rookie."

Smiling at the woman's sudden gesture of compassion, Yuzu sat down; her tired body feeling like it would go to sleep at any time. "Um…Captain? Where exactly are we?" she asked looking around. "I lost track of where we were while training."

"This is an old training spot. I used to come here when I first became Lady Yoruichi's bodyguard."

"Lady Yoruichi?" Yuzu asked puzzled.

"My mentor and the previous captain before me." Soi-Fon gave a rare smile at the memory of Yoruichi. She turned to Yuzu and saw the girl's eyes drooping. "Are you tired, Rookie?" she asked, her head cocked in amusement.

Yuzu couldn't deny it. It was taking all of her willpower to keep herself awake. "Yes, Captain…" she said hesitantly, awaiting another rebuttal. She flinched when she felt a hand on her head and turned, seeing the Captain smiling down at her.

"Rest, Rookie. You earned it," she said proudly. Yuzu was on the verge of tears from the words, happy to know that the woman was not as cold-hearted as she first appeared to be. Soi-Fon caught Yuzu as she let go of that last thread of consciousness, laying her head on her lap as she fell asleep. Once again, Soi-Fon was hit by a memory of when Yoruichi did the same for her. "Huh…so this is how it feels." She ran a hand through Yuzu's light-brown hair and smiled down at her recruit. ' _That massive burst of spirit energy, her natural ability to adapt, her chipper attitude.'_ "You know, Yuzu, you remind me of the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. And for once, in a good way…."

Gently picking Yuzu up, Soi-Fon carried her back to the barracks, flashstepping to one of the Squad's unused seated officer quarters and laying her in bed….

 _ **Several days later….**_

" _Yuzu…Yuzu…hear my voice…."_

Yuzu found herself standing in the middle of a field of sunflowers. The sun shined brightly above her. "Where…am I?" Looking around, she saw nobody there except for her.

" _Yuzu…."_

Turning around, Yuzu saw a large tree in the middle of the field. Beneath the shady tree sat…somebody….

As Yuzu moved closer, her eyes widened as she saw the person sitting at the foot of the tree. "Who…who are you?"

" _My name is-"_

"Rookie!"

The young Kurosaki girl sat up in her bed and saw the Captain standing over her. "Captain?" she looked around and saw that she was in the room the woman had given her.

Soi-Fon tossed her a squad badge. "Here. You never did wear one all week."

As Yuzu got out of bed she got dressed and put the badge on her arm, feeling an odd sense of pride. ' _It's weird. I know I'm not supposed to be here but…part of me actually likes the idea of belonging here.'_

Soi-Fon turned around and pointed to some towels and soaps she'd brought. "Go and take a shower. You smell like you haven't showered in a week. When you're through, be prepared by noon today. I've been asked to personally assist in locating the Ryoka that's been eluding us. Once we've caught her, I want you in my office."

"Your office?" Yuzu asked as she grabbed the towels.

Soi-Fon smiled proudly, starting to see her in the same light that Yoruichi regarded herself. "I've decided that you're to be taken on as one of my seated officers; unlike my other recruits you actually show promise. You'll be twentieth-seat, which is the lowest rank but starting today you'll be acting as my personal pupil and bodyguard."

"Really?" Yuzu asked, feeling a little pride. She was starting to see the woman as the big sister she never had. Over the past few days she had been getting stronger and better, slowly earning Soi-Fon's respect. Her flashstep had been improved and she'd learned how to use her sword better. While she was in no means fast in terms of evasion, the last time Soi-Fon had given her the Suzumebachi-evasion test, she'd been able to go half the night with only three _Homonka_ marks. Still, she felt a little scared, knowing that eventually the truth about her would have to come out and that her family must be worrying themselves to death by now. Heading for the squad showers once she'd asked someone of their location, Yuzu left to go give herself a much needed wash….

 _ **Meanwhile….**_

 __Soi-Fon was directing the troops to fan out and search every building for any trace of the Ryoka when a voice came up from behind her. "Long time, no see, Soi-Fon!"

"Lady Yoruichi!" Soi-Fon gasped as she turned around, bowing in respect to her former master. "What brings you here?" she asked, hoping that the answer would be to see her.

Yoruichi scowled at the woman. "I've been looking for your little Ryoka. I know who she is." In her hands was a bundle wrapped in a black cloth."

"You have? When? Why haven't you informed the Head-Captain?" she asked, curious why Yoruichi didn't consult her sooner.

The Flash Goddess started to unravel the package. "I thought I could try to find her and get her out of here without causing a ruckus but her spiritual pressure is so small I can't detect it." She pulled out a torn school uniform from the black cloth, showing it to Soi-Fon. "Her name is Yuzu Kurosaki. She's Ichigo's younger sister. I think she might have taken a _shihakusho_ to disguise herself"

"Yuzu-" Soi-Fon's eyes widened in shock as she started to put two and two together. "Lady Yoruichi! Where exactly did you find those clothes?" she asked, her heart starting to thump as that familiar feeling of betrayal started to hit her.

"I found these in one of the squad's storage shacks in east-21 block."

Soi-Fon merely stared at the clothes as suddenly the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. ' _That's exactly where I found the Rookie a week ago! No wonder she had no clue what she was doing! She's a Ryoka! And her being Ichigo's sister does explain her massive growth.'_ Soi-Fon punched a wall next to her, leaving a crater in it. "Dammit! I should've known! Why didn't I see it sooner?" She wanted to smack herself silly for letting herself be caught up in Yuzu's deception. "She was right under my nose the entire time!"

Yoruichi frowned at her former pupil. "What do you mean?"

"I found her outside that storehouse in one of our uniforms. I thought she was one of my new rookies and was training her. She's-" she gasped as she remembered what she had told her. "I was going to make her my…my…" she looked away, ashamed of herself for being duped by the little girl. "How could I be so naïve?"

Yoruichi's hand went to her shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up, Soi-Fon. You're not omniscient. And Yuzu was probably scared of being discovered and hurt so she kept up the bluff of being one of your new recruits." Yoruichi looked around. "So where is she?"

"In the squad showers. We should go and apprehend her and take her to-"

She was cut off by Yoruichi's finger, shushing her. "Calm down. She came to be here by accident and she hasn't done anything wrong other than enter the Soul Society illegally. Don't be so hard on her. Besides, you sound like you're fond of her." Yoruichi gave her a small smile, letting Soi-Fon ease up on the hate.

"You're right, Lady Yoruichi." Soi-Fon started to calmly walk in the direction of the showers. "I'll go and get her and…present her to the Head-Captain. If she's done any wrongdoing I will take the fall completely for not discovering her earlier." With that in mind, Soi-Fon continued to walk towards the showers. ' _She was able to keep herself hidden for a whole week while under my supervision…apparently her ability to hide in plain sight is better than I gave her credit for….'_

 _ **Meanwhile….**_

 __"Ahhhh…" Yuzu moaned as she walked out of the shower, fully refreshed. She was dressed in a freshly clean _shihakusho_ and had slipped the new badge around her arm. "Maybe…maybe I should go ahead and tell her…before…before I don't want to leave…" she said, her cute face starting to sulk as she walked out into the open street. She was surprised to see a large white column structure suddenly fall from the sky, landing several miles away and impale into the ground. "Whoa! What was that?" she gasped, almost jumping out of her skin from the shock of the impact.

"HEY YOU!"

Yuzu turned around and saw to her horror the very same man who'd tried to kill her the first day she arrived stalking towards her, zanpakuto already drawn. "You!" she gasped, dropping her towel and soap.

The bald man seethed in rage as he stomped over to the girl. "You made me look like a fool in front of Captain Zaraki! Now I'm gonna drag your sorry carcass back to the captains and earn my dignity back!" The man had been heavily scolded and reprimanded by Kenpachi for failing to apprehend one little girl and now he wanted payback in blood.

"Get away from me!" Yuzu screamed, running away. Jumping onto the rooftop, she started to make a beeline away from him. She drew her zanpakuto and turned around just in time to see the man catch up to her. The thug brought his sword down, only for Yuzu to block it. However, the man's anger added to the force of the blow and to Yuzu's horror she saw her Asauchi snap in two like a twig. "No!" she screamed as she flashstepped away from him, broken sword in hand.

"Get back here, you little brat!" the man screamed, too incompetent to have ever learned the Flashstep himself. Soon the little girl had disappeared from his sight, leaving him to scream in frustration and rage.

Yuzu panted as she hopped off a rooftop before scrambling down the street. She looked down at her broken sword and the sight almost drove her to tears. "I'm sorry…" she whispered to it. "I guess I'll never learn your name now…." She sheathed the broken sword and looked around, needing a place to hide for a few hours before heading back to Soi-Fon. She swore to herself that she'd fess up and tell her captain that SHE was the Ryoka in order to end this insanity; Soi-Fon would understand, right? "I need a place to hide…."

"THERE!" she smiled when she saw the white pillar in the ground. There was nobody around the weird pillar, almost as if people were keeping a distance to it. "I'll just hide in there until everything dies down…." Making sure the coast was clear, Yuzu opened the door at the base of the pillar and stepped inside. "What on earth is this?" she said out loud as she unknowingly entered Squad Zero's Tenchuren. Inside were a ring of chairs as well as multiple boxes littered all around them, most of them littering the ground haphazardly. "Jeez, does anyone in this place learn to clean up after themselves?" Yuzu murmured, shaking her head. She sat down in one of the comfy seats and waited, hoping that enough time would pass before she could leave and head for the captain. Realizing that it must've been way past noon, Yuzu felt dread start to worm into her heart. "Captain's gonna be mad at me for being late…."

Just when she decided that it was alright to leave, she heard the door start to open. "Oh no! I gotta hide!" Opening one of the crates, Yuzu decided to risk it and hid inside of it. She could hear voices outside and prayed one of them wouldn't decide to peek inside.

"I see Genryusai is as temperamental as always," she heard a voice, a man's from the sound of it.

"You'd think he'd mellow out in his old age. All this trouble for one girl. And the sister of a Substitute Soul Reaper at that." This time the voice was female, though it sounded harsh and cold.

Just when she thought they'd never shut up she felt the ground beneath her start to rumble, wondering what the hell was happening. A new voice chimed in. "Glad we got Mayuri to install those rockets to the Tenchuren! Now we don't have to keep relying on Kukakku's cannon to get back to the palace." Then Yuzu heard the loud rumbling of a stomach and it was starting to make her hungry.

"Yes," said the first voice. "And it was good of Captain Kurotsuchi to line the Tenchuren with Seki-Seki rock so we can enter and leave the Seireitei without needing to worry about the barrier. And in three…two…one…."

Yuzu could not help the scream when the crate she was in suddenly lurched, the girl fearing she was going to break her neck as the crate was lifted up off the ground and then slammed back down and then rolled across the floor to hit a wall. Luckily the roar of the rocket had drowned out her scream but it felt like she was in a roller-coaster with no seat belt.

Just when Yuzu was about to be sick from being thrown about while trapped inside the crate, getting more bruises to add to the ones Soi-Fon gave her, the crate hit the floor and the shaking stopped. Sadly, the tossing had caused her crate to land on its side and the impact knocked the lid off, making Yuzu spill out onto the floor. "Owie!" she groaned as the whole world spun, trying very hard not to lose her breakfast….

Because the girl's vision was spinning and blurry she couldn't make out what was standing over her until it'd multiplied by five. When her eyes came back into view, she saw five very odd-looking people standing over her. One of them, a woman with long, black hair, narrowed her eyes at the little girl who'd stowed away on their transport. "And what do we have here?"

"Um…Hi?"

' _I'm really wishing I'd just stayed with Captain Soi-Fon today….'_

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad 1: Head-Captain's Chambers**

Ichigo walked into the room after Renji and Ikkaku had practically dragged him all the way to Squad One without telling him what the hell was going on. "Do you have ANY idea how long we've been trying to get a hold of you? Ichigo, where the hell have you been?" Renji angrily said.

"Whoa! Renji, where's the fire at?" Ichigo asked, confused about what was happening. "Why is this so important that you've dragged me all the way here?" He didn't feel like answering Renji's question, not wanting the man to know that he and Rukia were secretly seeing each other.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Ichigo!" Ikkaku said as he pushed the doors open. "We've been running around all week trying to find this Ryoka, and now we learned that it's all because of you!"

Ichigo blinked. "A Ryoka? Coming in because of me?" He saw Yoruichi standing next to Soi-Fon with most of the other captains and lieutenants present. "Who's the Ryoka? It can't be that bad, can it?"

Yoruichi, with a sad heart, showed Ichigo the uniform she'd found. "I'm afraid it is bad. The Ryoka is your sister, Yuzu. She followed you into the Soul Society."

Ichigo stared at the captains for a moment…then another moment…and then another….

"WHAT?!"

To be continued….

 **A.N.: To clarify before I start the next chapter: No. Yuzu's zanpakuto is not going to be Yhwach-Zangetsu. Yes, her inborn Quincy powers will have their part to play, but I'm thinking of something else regarding her zanpakuto's manifestation.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **Several Hours later….  
**_ **Tenjirou's Hot Spring Palace**

Yuzu sat in one of Tenjirō springs, the normal kind, not the special healing ones. She looked around to see the other members of Squad Zero all in a separate spring, only the tops of their heads visible past the wooden fence dividing them. Tenjirō had ordered her to wait there and soak while they discussed what to do with her. Yuzu felt really awkward, considering she was in a place that most Soul Reapers weren't even allowed to go. She could hear their voices and not for the first time wished she'd just went straight back to Squad Two to confess her guilt to Captain Soi-Fon. "I keep winding up in these messes…" she muttered as she stared at her reflection. While the members of Squad Zero weren't exactly angry, they were quite disturbed to find that someone actually stowed away on their transport….

 _ **Previously….**_

 __ _Yuzu was yanked to her feet by one of the skeleton arms that the black-haired woman possessed, her heart thumping with fear. If the Soul Reapers looked like a motely bunch then these people looked like something out of a manga! Each one had a unique look that it made Yuzu wonder if these people were supposed to be some special force or something. "Um…Hi?" she meekly replied._

 _"Well, well," the bald man with the bushy beard said as he studied the girl. "Looks like the Ryoka found us." He leaned forward and lifted her head until they were looking each other in the eye. "You're Yuzu Kurosaki, aren't you?"_

 _"…Uh huh…" Yuzu said, close to tears. She could feel the spiritual pressure radiating off these people and it made her scared; it felt like they could crush her with a thought. She thought the captain was powerful but these five each dwarfed ten of her. "I'm sorry… I got scared by a brute and I…I tried to hide and…."_

 _"See?" the man with the huge pompadour said. "If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: GET A DAMN PADLOCK FOR THE TENCHUREN!"_

 _"What should we do, Osho?" the plump women with violet hair asked. "Should we head back down to hand her over to the Head-Captain?"_

 _"Please don't hurt me!" Yuzu begged, wishing her sword hadn't broken; not that it'd do much good against these people. "I…I didn't' mean to! I just…wanna go home…" she muttered, looking at the ground. "I don't even know where I am…."_

 _The man named Osho breathed a sigh of exasperation. It'd been years since he's had to make decisions like these. "You're Ichigo Kurosaki's younger sister, aren't you?"_

 _Yuzu blinked. "How do you know my brother?"_

 _The thin woman with the skeleton arms narrowed her eyes. "We know a great deal, Yuzu. Such as how you came to be a Soul Reaper. And this is the Royal Realm. And just so you know…" Yuzu shook like a leaf in the wind when she saw her eyes narrow, "We don't take kindly to trespassers…."_

 _"Sheesh! Chill'ax Senshumaru!" the man with the shades said. "She ain't here by choice and she ain't hurting nobody! Let's just deliver her back to the World of the Living where she belongs." He grinned at the small girl, making her feel a little better. "I can teleport her out of her in a jiffy. Just say the word, Osho."_

 _But Osho continued to look at Yuzu with an appraising eye. Finally, after several minutes of silence, he stood upright and turned to Tenjirō. "Why don't we have a nice bath before we agree on anything. We can't send her back with the Tenchuren and if we send her back to the World of the Living before she's gotten a grip on her powers she could become prey to hollows."_

 _Senshumaru cocked her head. "Can't we just let Kisuke Urahara train the girl like he did her brother? Or let Soi-Fon continue her training? Or better yet, why not just seal away her powers altogether. That'd solve the problem well enough." Yuzu clutched her arms in fear. She might not have chosen to have her powers, but now that she had gotten used to them, she didn't want to stop learning how to control them._

 _Osho shook his head. "Why don't we have a nice bath while we discuss our options. Yuzu…" he turned to the girl, who jumped in fright. "Come with us. We'll discuss what to do with you while we're having a soak. In the meantime," he turned to Senshumaru. "Send a message to Genryusai and tell him we'll be entertaining his little Ryoka for the time being…._

 _ **Back to the Present….**_

When she heard footsteps she turned to see Senshumaru, wrapped in a towel, walking over to her tiny spring. "Up, little girl. Get dried off and dressed. Osho wants to speak with you." Obeying the scary woman as quickly as she could, Yuzu got out and dried off, putting her clothes back on as quickly as possible. When she followed the woman out of the area, she saw Osho, dressed in a simple white robe, sitting on a wooden bench. The big man smiled at the girl, making her feel a little less apprehensive. "Yuzu, how much do you know about your brother?" he asked.

Taking a seat next to him, Yuzu shook her head. "I thought I knew my brother. But now…I think I know next to nothing now…" she said glumly, wishing that it weren't true.

Running a hand through his thick beard, Osho nodded. "I suppose there's no use hiding it anymore. I'll start your brother's story at the beginning…."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Head-Captain's Chambers**

Ichigo stared at Soi-Fon and nobody else, his eyes showing something that none of the other captains have seen in the substitute's eyes. They'd seen kindness, determination, sadness and despair but this was a first: Rage.

"Let…me get this straight. You're telling me that one of Kenpachi's idiot squad members almost killed my sister…then you find my sister and tell her to fight a hollow…then you've been training her all week, beating her black and blue…" he seethed, taking steps toward her. Yamamoto and the other captains put their hands on their weapons when they felt his spirit energy becoming unstable. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Ichigo screamed into Soi-Fon's face, the hardcore woman surprisingly just taking it. "YOU HIT MY SISTER! SHE'S JUST A LITTLE GIRL!"

Byakuya put a hand on his shoulder, trying to reason with the boy. "Ichigo, your sister was disguised as one of her recruits and-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Ichigo screamed, pushing Byakuya away before turning back to Soi-Fon. "WHERE IS MY SISTER? SOI-FON, I'LL-"

"ENOUGH!" roared the Head-Captain, unsheathing his zanpakuto. "Calm yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki, lest I take drastic measures," he said threateningly. Ichigo was angry but he knew not to pick a fight with the Head-Captain, angry or not. "Your sister coming here is your own fault! And we've been trying to locate her ever since she escaped the officer who tried to apprehend her."

"You mean try to kill her!"

"SILENCE!" Both Yamamoto and Ichigo locked eyes and every single captain, save Soi-Fon, who was staring at the floor ashamed, took a step back out of fear things were going to escalate. "Since we're on the subject of whereabouts, where were you the past week, boy?" the angry old man said. "Considering that the blame of her coming here lies with you, you have little right to be angry at us for your own carelessness."

Unfortunately Ichigo had to concede that he was right; he should've made sure that he wasn't followed when he stepped through the Senkaimon. Balling his fists, Ichigo gave out a loud yell before punching the wall. "DAMMIT! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!" he screamed. "Yuzu…my sister…" he said, his shoulders slumping. "I…"

Captain Kyoraku walked over to Ichigo and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ichigo. We'll find your sister and send her home unharmed. I promise." When the Head-Captain glared at his student, Kyoraku interjected. "Old Man, we know she's here by accident and she hasn't hurt anybody, so we should just send her home where she belongs."

The old man closed his eyes and considered the option. Turning to the other person responsible for the girl's disappearance, Yamamoto frowned. "Captain Soi-Fon. What do you have to say for your actions? Your lack of insight is inexcusable. Why did you not realize that the girl was the Ryoka?" Ichigo calming down, walked back over to her as she responded.

Taking a deep breath, Soi-Fon turned to address Ichigo about her faux-protégé. "There is no excuse for my failings. I'm sorry, Ichigo, that I had not realized that the girl was your younger sister. I…had become detached from my recruits so when I saw that she had no real talent when I first met her, I simply thought she had somehow sneaked through the academy. Had I'd known, I would've detained her and alerted you that she was in the Soul Society. Instead…" she looked away out of shame, completely embarrassed at herself.

Soi-Fon was a hard woman to her subordinates and to her fellow captains; there is no doubt about that. She was a woman of stern dedication and duty. However…she never, EVER, stooped so low as to hurt innocent children. And she remembered how she'd downright brutalized the little girl. "I'm ashamed at myself," she said with her head hung low.

Before any more screaming could occur the door opened and Akon entered the room. "Forgive the interruption, Captains, but…I've a report from Squad Zero that you're gonna want to hear…."

 _ **A quick briefing later….**_

Ichigo paled as the news was relayed to him. "Oh no…" he muttered at the realization that his sister had stumbled into the one place that was sacred in the Soul Society, a place that Aizen had tried to break into with an army of Arrancars. "She's at the King's Palace?!" he turned to the Head-Captain and his eyes showed pleading. "You have to let me in there and go get her! She's my sister!"

"Out of the question!" Yamamoto adamantly said.

"Old man, you guys tried to kill me just for knocking at your front door! Who knows what these guys will do to my sister up there-"

"Actually…" Akon interrupted. "There's another part of the report I've yet to read…." He shuffled papers and looked at it intently. "It says here that Squad Zero has decided to train your sister."

Ichigo, Yoruichi, who'd remained silent throughout the whole debate, and Soi-Fon all stared at the Third-Seat in shock. "SHE'S WHAT?!" Ichigo screamed.

 _ **Back to the Royal Realm….**_

"And so!" Osho happily said, after telling her everything that's happened to Ichigo up to this point, minus a few details, "We've decided to finish your training!"

Yuzu blinked. "You will? You're not gonna send me home?" she asked, partially wanting all this to end.

Osho rubbed his bald head and looked at the girl. "That would be pointless. You know too much already to just go back to your old life. Your brother, Ichigo, understood that much. We can't send you back to the Soul Society just yet so in the meantime we'll turn you into a full-fledged Soul Reaper." He pointed to a small platform and gestured to it. "Step on that and I'll take you to Hikifune's palace. You look famished, if you don't mind my saying. We'll start your training afterwards…."

 _ **Later….  
**_ **Kirio Hikifune's Palace**

Yuzu's eyes widened and her mouth watered as the plump woman pushed plate after plate of the most tantalizing-smelling food she'd ever smelled. Looking at Osho, who'd decided to dine with her, Yuzu slowly reached for a fork. "Um…you're sure this is okay? This is a lot of food…."

Smiling, the bald monk merely grabbed a bowl of noodles. "You can be at ease, Yuzu. There's nothing amiss here. You're hungry and it's Kirio's job to feed you."

"As he said!" came a voice from the kitchen. When Kirio emerged, Yuzu dropped the fork in shock. This woman heavily contrasted the obese woman who'd went into the kitchen. "Eat, dearie! You're probably famished from having to eat Stealth Force rations for a whole week!" said the beautiful, curvy woman in the doorway.

"Um…excuse me, miss?" Yuzu timidly said. "But…who are you?" she asked, wondering if the obese woman had a sister or something.

Kirio laughed. "Oh! I completely forgot to tell you! I inject my spirit energy into my cooking, so I need to bulk up in between meals," she said before sitting down next to Yuzu. "Now then…" she patted Yuzu's head and smiled sweetly, reminding Yuzu of her mother slightly. "Eat, Yuzu. You need to keep your strength up."

Yuzu pulled a bowl of shrimp forward and put one in her mouth. In an instant, her eyes widened as flavor she'd never known hit her taste buds. Ignoring etiquette, Yuzu began to chow down on her meal.

By the time she was done, Yuzu had no idea how she's managed to eat so much, feeling stuffed. Putting her fork down, Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief at finally eaten something substantial. "That was so good…" she said. Turning to Kirio, Yuzu's eyes lit up. "Could you please teach me to cook some of this?"

"Ohohoho!" Kirio laughed, patting Yuzu's head. "I heard you were the happy cook. I'm glad to see that the rumors were true. I'd be happy to teach you a recipe or two," she gestured to Osho, "But later, after you've finished your training. And after we've repaired your zanpakuto."

"My zanpakuto?" She reached for her sword and pulled it out of the sheath, staring at the broken blade mournfully. "But it's broken…"

Osho put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, but what was broken can be reforged. Oh-Etsu can help with that…." Getting up, Yuzu followed Osho to the launch pad again, hoping that the way there wasn't as…intense as before….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad Two: Outside Soi-Fon's quarters**

Ichigo walked up to Soi-Fon and saw that she was sitting on the edge of the wooden rampart, looking up at the sky. When Soi-Fon turned to face him, he saw that the black eye he'd given her hadn't healed. Ichigo, too caught up in his anger, had slugged the woman as hard as he could in the middle of the meeting after he'd learned that his sister would endure more training at the hands of Squad Zero, much to the captains' shock and disapproval. But much to their disbelief, Soi-Fon had merely picked herself up off the ground and quietly excused herself, making everyone wonder why she didn't try to kill Ichigo for what he'd done.

"I'm sorry…" Soi-Fon quietly said, her head gazing up at the stars. "I hope Yuzu's okay…."

Sighing, having cooled down, Ichigo sat down next to Soi-Fon. "I hope she's okay too…." He turned to Soi-Fon and saw the distressed look on her face. "You…really like Yuzu, didn't you?"

Slowly, Soi-Fon nodded. "I know it goes against my nature to be friendly with a subordinate but…Yuzu was nice. She was hard-working, she listened to my instructions and she…always looked at me the way that I looked at Lady Yoruichi. I started to see a bit of myself in her and I wanted to help her try to become as strong and independent as I am. I…started to see her as the little sister I never had. But it was that ambition that blinded me to her deception." When she saw Ichigo's eyes turn cold, she immediately backtracked. "No, I'm not angry at her. Truthfully I'm kind of impressed by how she could remain hidden right under my nose. Not like you, Mr. Cabin-in-the-Woods." When she saw Ichigo's flustered face she smiled. "Relax; I'm not going to tell Captain Kuchiki anything. I've done enough harm to you today."

Looking back up at the stars, Ichigo began to feel his heart start to throb in fear for his little, innocent sister. "Do you think she'll be okay?" he asked softly.

Soi-Fon nodded. "Take it from me, Ichigo: Yuzu is stronger than you know. She'll be fine. When she returns…" she looked down at the ground and pulled out the Squad badge she'd found near the Tenchuren, the only trace of Yuzu she'd found before she'd gotten the news. "I'll apologize for hurting her."

Yoruichi, watching them from up above on a rooftop in her cat-form, smiled at the two as they made up and talked more about Ichigo's sister. ' _Be it Ichigo or Yuzu, Isshin, your children sure do have a way of changing people for the better….'_

To be continued….

 **A.N.: Before anyone brings it up: NO, Yuzu will not be bulking up Kirio-style, so don't say anything in the reviews about how that'd be disgusting.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **A little while later….  
**_ **Oh-Etsu's palace**

"KYAAAAAAAA!" Yuzu screamed as she was shot into the air along with Osho, sent thundering towards the floating palace of Oh-Etsu. "Do you guys really travel around like this here?" she called out to Osho before she felt her sense of vertigo kick in and she began to fall. "Kyaaaaa!"

Luckily Osho neared her and wrapped an arm around the small girl, keeping her close to his large form. "You get used to it after a while. Hang on, we're here." Keeping a tight hold on Yuzu, Osho landed on the platform with grace, making sure that Yuzu didn't slip from his grasp and hit the ground. "Are you alright, Yuzu?" he asked as he set the girl down.

"I'm fine, thank you. So…" Yuzu looked around and saw a large door. "Is this the place?"

"Yes," Osho said, gesturing for Yuzu to follow them. "Let's find Oh-Etsu."

The young Kurosaki girl followed the bald monk through the door. On the top of it was a sign that read, in very stylish lettering, "Galaxy Hoohden". As soon as Yuzu stepped inside bright lights turned on. Blinded, Yuzu could barely make out the figures who rushed over towards them. "WELCOME!"

"OH MY GOSH!"

"SHE'S ADORABLE!"

"THAT'S YUZU?! SHE LOOKS SO SWEET!"

A myriad of other voices smothered Yuzu as she was suddenly blindsided by a gang of beautiful women who were all smiling down at her. The girl blushed heavily since she wasn't used to being the center of attention. That was usually Karin or Ichigo. "Hello…" she meekly said, backing up into Osho.

The women all smiled sweetly at the young girl. "Oh my, she looks embarrassed."

"She looks even cuter when she's nervous!" another girl said.

The throng of women was interrupted when a small girl with spiky red hair pushed through the crowd. "Gangway! Move it! Master Oh-Etsu's waiting for them." She pointed to Yuzu and scowled. "Yuzu, my name's Mera. Follow me!" Yuzu looked at Osho who nodded, gesturing for her to follow.

The two followed the girl out of the building and they saw a small, rundown shack on the edge of a cliff. "What's that?" Yuzu asked confused. "But I thought-"

"That gaudy place was something that Master Oh-Etsu created just so he doesn't have to admit he lives here," Mera said. At the door of the cabin was the man himself, Oh-Etsu. "Master, I've brought them."

"SWEET!" Oh-Etsu happily exclaimed as he walked over to Yuzu. "High five, Zu-Yu!" the man said, holding his hand up. Happy to see that the man was being nice, Yuzu gave him a high five, finally starting to smile. "That's more like it!" The man grinned as he stood there. "Knowing your brother, he'd probably think I was trying to make a fool out of him."

"Um…" Yuzu made a quick glance to Mera before turning to the Squad Zero member. "Mr. Oh-Etsu? What…what exactly were those girls back there? They didn't…" she struggled to find a way to put it into words, "They didn't…feel like people." Oh-Etsu raised an eyebrow at the girl's question.

 __"Yuzu…" Osho interrupted. "Before we begin, there's something that you should be aware of about your parents." He neglected to mention this when he was telling her Ichigo's story. "You need to know this because it's integral to your powers."

Yuzu blinked. "My mom and dad? What about them?"

After a quick explanation later, Yuzu learned the full story about her mother and how she met her father and about Quincies in general. Osho left out a certain important detail regarding her death, not that it'd actually be important, but he gave her the abridged version of her mother's life. "So now you know. You're half Soul Reaper and half Quincy." He pointed at her chest. "The reason you unlocked your powers was because you became immersed in a reishi-filled environment and you began to unconsciously absorb it into your body, like a Quincy. The mental shock from the hollow caused all of your Soul Reaper powers to come forth because of this."

Yuzu nodded. "I get it. Does Ichigo know this?"

Osho shook his head. "He does not. And for the time being I don't see the harm in him not knowing. The reason I bring it up now is because your powers are more blended together than your brother's."

"What do you mean?" asked the confused girl.

"You'll see," Oh-Etsu hinted ominously. Pulling aside the door to the small hut, Oh-Etsu gestured to Yuzu. "Come inside and let's get started." Smiling, Yuzu walked past Oh-Etsu…

"KYAAAAAAAAA!"

And immediately fell into a pitch black pit….

Nursing her bruised rear end, Yuzu stood up and saw both Oh-Etsu and Osho standing in the doorway. "Mr. Osho! Mr. Oh-Etsu! What is this?" she shouted, worried she'd been tricked. "Where am I?"

"Haven't you been keeping up? You're in my palace, Hoohden!" Oh-Etsu said as he squatted down. Yuzu gasped when she saw her broken zanpakuto in his hand. "Now then, what to do about this?" he said, slowly examining it. "Hmmm…."

Yuzu's heart started to thump in her small chest when she heard a noise behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened when she saw figures in the darkness. "What…what's that?" She backed up until her back was against the wall and her body became frozen in fear when she saw them get closer.

Oh-Etsu stopped examining the broken sword and looked down at the frightened Yuzu. "You remember when you asked me who those honeys were from before? I'm actually kind of impressed you saw through them. I don't think even most Soul Reapers would figure it out. Those honeys from before were actually zanpakuto."

Yuzu looked up and she was confused. "Zanpakuto? But I thought that zanpakuto were swords?" she asked.

The man grinned. "Correct and incorrect! Yes, the base forms of all zanpakuto lies in the form of swords, but the spirits themselves have their own form. Those honeys from before were zanpakuto in their manifested forms. And these…" he gestured to the moving shadows, "are Asauchi."

"Asauchi? Like my zanpakuto?" She looked forward and saw that they were blank figures, like no distinguishing features. She shivered when she saw that their eyes were really small mouths. "Those are Asauchi?"

"Yes indeed!" Oh-Etsu happily said. He looked down at Yuzu and grinned from ear to ear. "Have fun!"

When the Asauchi advanced, Yuzu screamed. She might have been stronger after training with Soi-Fon but here in the dark with no weapon and surrounded by these strange creatures, she felt as powerless as when she'd first arrived in the Seireitei. "NOOOOOOO!" she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the inevitable attack… which never came. "Huh?" She cracked an eye open to see the Asauchi just standing there.

"Why are you afraid?" Oh-Etsu asked. "To them, you're more Soul Reaper than your brother. You actually understand what a zanpakuto is and they respect that."

Yuzu looked up and remembered one of her lessons that she had with her Captain….

 _ **During Yuzu's nightly training….**_

 __ _Yuzu sat down and nursed her bruised shoulder and looked at her captain as she sat down next to her. "Captain? I've a question."_

 _"Ask," the woman said as she pulled out their nightly meal and handed a bowl of rice to Yuzu._

 _"Well, it's about my zanpakuto. What exactly IS a zanpakuto? You said that it gains a name as I train with it. What exactly is it?" she asked, not worried anymore that she might blow her cover anymore._

 _Soi-Fon pulled out her Suzumebachi and stared at it. "That's a bit…of a hard question, honestly, Rookie. We put our souls into our blades and they in turn take on a form that is unique to us."_

 _"So…it's like a mirror of our souls? They reflect who we truly are?" That made sense to Yuzu. Soi-Fon's Suzumebachi seemed like the perfect weapon for somebody like Soi-Fon._

 _Soi-Fon gave her student a rare smile. "That's about as close to the truth as you can get. Yes, a zanpakuto is a reflection of its wielder. Or to be more specific, the blade IS you." Putting down her bowl, Soi-Fon sheathed Suzumebachi and stood up. "That's enough small-talk for now. Let's continue."_

 _"Yes, Captain."_

 _ **Back to the Present….**_

 __"You mean how the zanpakuto is a reflection of our souls?" Yuzu asked up to Oh-Etsu.

Clapping his hands, Oh-Etsu smiled proudly down at the girl. "Ding! Ding! Zu-Yu, you're one in a million!" He gestured to the Asauchi. "You've hit it on the head. Most Soul Reapers see their zanpakuto as partners or just weapons. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that one of my Asauchi landed in the hands of a little girl who had more sense than half the Squads!"

Yuzu blushed. "You knew I had one of your swords?"

"I know the location of every Asauchi I've ever forged, Zu-Yu. But now's not the time for talking." He once again gestured to the group of Asauchi. "I can reforge your zanpakuto. All you have to do is pick an Asauchi to use as its new base."

Yuzu looked at the Asauchi as they took a knee. She walked among them, wondering which one she should pick when she felt a calling to one of them near the back. Walking over to it, Yuzu grabbed it by the hand and helped it up. To her utter shock, the body of the Asauchi peeled away, revealing the face of Yuzu's true zanpakuto. She was expecting to see herself after her conversations with Soi-Fon and Oh-Etsu. She was partially right.

Before she knew it she was no longer in the dark chamber of Hoohden. Yuzu looked around and saw she was back in the field of sunflowers, the large tree offering its shade to her. "Huh? Where am I?"

Oh-Etsu's voice came out of nowhere. "Yuzu, right now you're in your inner world, the home of your zanpakuto."

" _ **As he said**_ ," came a voice from behind her. When Yuzu turned around, tears fell from her face when she finally got a solid look at the face of her zanpakuto.

"Mom? Is that you?"

The zanpakuto did indeed look like Masaki Kurosaki. However the ends of her light-brown hair glowed with a silvery hue and she wore a long, flowing white dress that seemed to shimmer even in the shade of the tree. "I am not your mother, Yuzu. What I am is the combined form of your Soul Reaper and Quincy powers. Because of your mother's strong blood I have taken her form. It was, after all, her power that helped me become born when you awakened your Soul Reaper powers."

Yuzu could not stop the tears as she ran up to the woman. She didn't care if this wasn't her mother or not; just seeing her face was worth the epic beating that Soi-Fon gave her for the past week. "I understand," she finally said after pulling away. "I didn't hear it the last time but even if you're not my mother I'd like to know your name."

Smiling down at her master, the woman leaned forward and softly whispered her name into her ear. "My name is…."

A wet splash knocked Yuzu out of her inner world. When she looked around she saw that she was no longer in the hut, but a large cavern that had a huge waterfall. She looked to her left and saw her zanpakuto next to her, just as drenched as she was.

"No, no, no!" Oh-Etsu wagged a finger in front of Yuzu's face. "Little girls shouldn't be chillaxing in the pool when there's zanpakuto's to make. But enough about that," he turned to the Asauchi that Yuzu had chosen. "It's time for you to get some of the spotlight, Asauchi!"

Yuzu gasped when she saw her zanpakuto suddenly dissolved and became a white bar. Oh-Etsu stepped up to his forge, already set up by his zanpakuto spirits and began hammering away. The minutes ticked by as Oh-Etsu tirelessly hammered the Asauchi, putting his heart into the forging. When he was finished, he set the hammer down and handed Yuzu her zanpakuto. "Here. Your new zanpakuto."

The girl took the blade from him and held it up, hearing the zanpakuto's voice from within. " _ **Yuzu…say it. Say my name….**_ "

"Cross the sky: Hikarugetsu!"

The katana transformed into a gleaming silver saber which glowed with a white light. "Wow! This is amazing!" Yuzu shouted as she jumped up and down happily. "I finally know my zanpakuto's name!"

She heard clapping and turned to see Osho standing at the entrance, drenched from having to slide down into the pool. "Very good. You've learned your Shikai. Now, it's time to get you some proper clothing," she gestured to the soaked, dirty clothes Yuzu had worn since she'd first gotten there. "So we'll take a stop at Senshumaru's palace before we continue your training."

Yuzu gulped. ' _Senshumaru? That lady with the bone-hands?'_

 _ **Later that night…  
**_ **Senshumaru's Palace**

Yuzu stood there in her new outfit, glad to have her clothes back on. It had been awkward to say the least when Senshumaru ordered her to strip so that she could fit her for clothes but her embarrassment became astonishment when she saw how blinding fast she had whipped up her clothes, putting a brand new _shihakusho_ on her. In addition, she'd added a blue scarf to her attire. "Wow!" Yuzu praised as she looked at herself in a nearby mirror. "That's amazing!"

"You're welcome," Senshumaru said as she sat down in her chair. "I'll make you a new set of clothes before you leave."

The girl bowed in respect. "Thank you very much," she said in appreciation. "Um…I was wondering…if you could teach me a little how you sew? I thought it might be pretty handy when I go home," she asked while hoping she hadn't offended the woman.

Senshumaru stared at the girl for a moment, assessing her before relenting. "Very well, I don't see what the harm in teaching you a thing or two. I'll teach you after your training with Osho." She looked outside and saw how dark it was. "My, it's already late. Time flies when it's your time, I guess." She walked to a corner of the room and grabbed a few fabrics and made a hammock, setting it up in the corner of the room. "Here. You can sleep in this for tonight. I'll send you to Osho's palace in the morning." She looked at the girl in her new clothes and frowned. "Oh that's right. I'll need to make you some sleepwear…."

In a whirlwind of speed, Senshumaru had replaced Yuzu's _Shihakusho_ with a set of pink pajamas. "There you go," she said, patting the girl's head.

Bowing her head in thanks, Yuzu climbed into the hammock and laid down, Senshumaru throwing a thick blanket over her. "Thank you, Ms. Senshumaru."

"You're welcome," the woman said before turning around. "Now, get some rest. You'll need it for Osho's training tomorrow."

Exhausted from the day's events, Yuzu closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep, still wishing she was home safe and sound….

To be continued….

 **A.N.: Just an F.Y.I.: Hikarugetsu means "Shining Moon". I figured it'd be an appropriate name for Yuzu.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **A.N.: To answer your review, Witcher Xarxis, that's how the Viz English manga pronounces Oh-Etsu's name and whenever I write I fall back on my volumes for reference. SpudyPotato, to answer your review: I wanted draw out the Shikai scene and in my personal opinion Oh-Etsu got the short end of the stick along with the rest of Squad Zero so I wanted to include more of them. Also… I kinda forgot that only Bankai were unable to repair on their own….  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **The Next Day….  
**_ **Osho's Palace**

Yuzu lay on the ground, trying her hardest to just take deep breaths. The spirit energy was so heavy here it was like she was drowning at the bottom of the ocean. "Guh…." She felt weak and had to fight to stay conscious.

Beside the fallen Yuzu sat Osho, who stayed right where he was and watched his student try to not succumb to his palace's heavy spirit energy. He again wondered if this was the right decision but decided that it was for the best. The sooner Yuzu could withstand the effects of strong spiritual pressure, the better. "Just breathe," he instructed her, patting her head gently. "The strong effects of the air here will soon pass, I promise…."

Taking huge gulps of air, Yuzu relaxed her body. Even though she'd slept like a baby in Senshumaru's palace she was so tired. Her body became covered in sweat, and she clawed at the ground, squeezing her eyes shut. She thought of her brother and the countless perils that he'd endured, remembering what Osho told her. She thought of her father and twin sister, who must've been sick with worry by now. Did they know about her being in the Soul Society? Or did they think she'd been kidnapped or ran away? It killed her to think that maybe her family thought she'd left them.

Her thoughts then turned to her mentor, Captain Soi-Fon. She remembered how strong and fierce the woman was. She could almost hear the woman's voice in her head. " _Get up, Rookie! This isn't enough to break a member of my Squad!"_ she'd always say when she knocked Yuzu to the ground, when she was helpless and on the verge of passing out. The woman's words helped her light a fire under her and always helped her stand even when she was on the verge of crying. She then thought of the kindness the woman showed her, and the look of pride in her eyes she so briefly gave Yuzu.

Osho raised an eyebrow when Yuzu, still groaning in pain, sat up. Sitting on her haunches, Yuzu took deep breaths, her hands balled into fists. The monk stared at her intently, seeing the same ferocity in her that Ichigo possessed. "Are you alright, Yuzu?" he asked, sitting up straight.

Suddenly Yuzu could feel her body become more adjusted to the atmosphere here. It still felt like she was wearing heavy weights but she didn't feel like she was about to be crushed anymore. "I'm…I'm fine." She looked up at Osho with determined eyes. "I'm ready for your training, Mr. Osho."

But to her shock and disappointment, Osho shook his head. "I'm afraid you're not ready yet for my training. You need to be able to stand up without straining yourself before you can begin. However," He stood up and walked over to her. "I do need to instruct you on some of the lore of the Soul Society, so I'll take you inside and we'll talk there since you're feeling much better."

"Okay…" she said as Osho picked her up. As the monk carried her up the steps she started to giggle.

"Something the matter?" Osho asked.

"Your beard tickles…" Yuzu giggled. Osho merely laughed as he carried her inside….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Soul Society: Squad 6: Byakuya's Office**

"Ichigo! Stop pacing!" Renji said, starting to get annoyed as his friend continued to pace back and forth. "She'll be fine! The Head-Captain already assured us that Squad Zero has no intention of harming her."

Stopping in the middle of the room, Ichigo merely sighed, his brow covered in sweat from the stress. "I know, Renji, I know!" Ichigo snapped. "But…it's my sister, Yuzu, for pity's sake!" He looked out the window and up at the sky, knowing that his sister was enduring more training in a world she shouldn't be a part of. "I just wish that I wasn't an idiot and made sure I wasn't followed…."

Renji looked at his friend with a sympathetic look. "I understand, Ichigo. But if your sister's anything like you, I'm sure she'll be fine."

Putting down a stack of papers, Rukia, who was here to deliver some things to her brother on her captain's behalf, shook her head. "I don't know, Renji. I've met Ichigo's sister. She's nothing like her brother."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Really? What's she like?"

"She's kind-hearted, eager to listen and doesn't fly off the handle. Unlike someone else I know…" Rukia said smirking when her eyes darted over to Ichigo, who merely huffed.

"You're not helping…."

Putting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, Rukia looked into her secret lover's eyes with concern. "I know you're worried but have faith, Ichigo. She'll come back soon. And then you can take her home where she belongs."

Forced to take her word, Ichigo merely nodded and left the room, needing to step outside for some air. He continued walking until he found himself in front of Byakuya Kuchiki. "Byakuya! Has there been any word on my sister?" he asked, out of concern.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "There has been no word. Just like there's been no word the last twenty times you've asked me. It would not cost you a thing, Ichigo, to learn patience."

"She's my sister!" Ichigo said, angry at the man's flippant notion. "How'd you feel if Rukia accidentally wound up there?"

"I would trust in her abilities and have faith that she would return unharmed," the captain said matter-of-factly. "Your sister was able to endure a week of training with Captain Soi-Fon. That is a feat that many officers in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads could never say they can ever accomplish. If she's anything like you, Yuzu will be alright."

Hearing the man who'd almost killed him (thrice) praise his sister's endurance did ease Ichigo's anxiety a little. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo nodded, looking at the ground. "I understand, Byakuya. It's just…" he looked up and for the first time in a long time, Byakuya saw the boy beneath the Substitute Soul Reaper. "I'm her big brother. Big brothers aren't supposed to let bad things happen to their sisters…."

Byakuya figured that Ichigo was overlooking the fact that HE was Rukia's brother; otherwise that statement would've sounded insulting when you thought about it. "If you're so distressed, Ichigo, why not retire to your little cabin?" he asked as he passed him by.

Whirling around, Ichigo stared at Byakuya with his mouth gaping. ' _He knows?!'_ "Byakuya…."

When the man turned he gave Ichigo the shadow of a smile, his form of approval, before turning back and continuing to walk, leaving Ichigo just standing there stunned….

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Osho's Palace**

Yuzu sat down, completely fine now as she listened to Osho give her details on how to incorporate her spirit energy into Kido spells. To her it was just like school except much more cooler. Osho handed her a large orb and told her to put her spirit energy into it. After a few tries she managed to get the knack of it and began to understand the method, creating a large sphere around her. "Can Ichigo do this?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Well he can, but the finer arts of Kido are not his specialty. He's more of the close-combat fighter. He's not suitable for the more subtle arts of Soul Reaper combat, unlike you," Osho explained, taking the orb out of her hands. Yuzu looked to her side at the Kido scrolls that Osho had given her to study.

"Now then, for the rest of today I will help you develop your zanpakuto's abilities." He stood up and walked to the center of the room. "Draw your zanpakuto and release your Shikai."

"Yes, sir," Yuzu said, standing up and drawing her zanpakuto. "Cross the sky: Hikarugetsu." Shining with silver light, Yuzu's zanpakuto transformed into its true form; Its silver blade shining in the afternoon light.

"Good, good," Osho said, eyeing her blade with interest. "Your zanpakuto has the same capabilities as your brother and father's zanpakuto but because of your mixed powers you also possess something else as well."

"Really? What?" asked Yuzu, who stared down at her blade.

"That is for you to discover, Yuzu," Osho said sagely. His face turned stern as he saw the true capabilities of her Shikai. ' _This girl has the same potential as her brother. How frightening….'_

"Let's begin."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Urahara Shop**

"So she's with Squad Zero?" Isshin choked, not believing his ears as Yoruichi relayed him the news. "Can't they just send her home from there? It's not like she's done anything wrong?"

"You mean, other than the fact that she snuck into a place that Aizen tried and failed to get into with an army and the godlike powers of the Hogyoku?" Kisuke asked, smirking behind his fan.

"You're not helping!"

"Anyway," Yoruichi interrupted. "I don't think they mean her any harm. I believe that the reason they want to train her is to make sure that she can handle her powers correctly. Soi-Fon taught her the basics of stealth and Zanjutsu , but she needs to someone who can properly instruct her on how to control her spirit energy properly. Otherwise she could accidentally run wild."

Sighing, Isshin stared at the wooden table in disappointment, just wanting his daughter to be home safe and sound. "Do you know when Squad Zero plans on returning her?"

"I'm afraid not," Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "But if I were to bet on how long it'd take, I'd say at least a week. What Yuzu's experiencing is training at a hyper level, even greater than what Ichigo went through. She's having an actual teacher to instruct her."

"Hey!" Urahara interjected, his pride as a teacher wounded. "I taught Ichigo plenty!"

"You spent five days hurling him into rocks…."

"Very INSTRUCTIVE rocks, thank you very much…."

Isshin wanted to bang his head on the table. He told Karin that Yuzu would be fine but to have the house so empty of his little girl reminded him too much of how it felt when he lost Masaki. "I see." Getting up, he sighed and headed for the door. "Alright. I'll head back to make sure Karin's okay. Let me know if anything sudden happens."

"We will," Yoruichi looked at the father with sad eyes. "Isshin, I'm sorry. I failed to find Yuzu and-"

"It's okay, Yoruichi. You did everything you could," was all Isshin said before leaving, though the words didn't make her any better for failing to keep her promise. Turning to Kisuke, she spoke with a stern voice. "So how stronger do you think she'll become?"

"Yuzu? I doubt she'll be at her brother's level but this IS Squad Zero we're talking about. Who knows what will happen to her once they've finished her training." He took a sip of tea and looked at Yoruichi with an inquisitive eye. "So, how's Soi-Fon taking it."

Yoruichi looked away, not sure how to answer the question. "Well…."

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Squad 2: Soi-Fon's training field**

Soi-Fon sat on the bench, looking up at the sky. Next to her was the mask that Yuzu had worn as well as the Squad badge she had given her. Sighing, she looked up at the sky with forlorn eyes. She hadn't felt this bad since Yoruichi had vanished. Closing her eyes she saw Yuzu's happy face and the memory made her heart throb with ache at what she'd done to her. The fact of the matter was clear to her and she could not deny it.

She missed her little Rookie.

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **Ten Days Later….  
**_ **Squad 13**

Ichigo was about to go stir crazy with worry. There'd been no word about Yuzu from Squad Zero and he had half a mind to ask Kisuke to go find him a way into the King's Palace or to force the Head-Captain to send him there.

He sat down on the bed in the room Ukitake had loaned him. He didn't want to go back to his cabin out of fear something would happen without him knowing, but the waiting was testing his patience to its very limit. He laid back on the bed and sighed, closing his eyes. "Yuzu…please be safe…" he prayed. He didn't want any of this for his little sister. He thought about everything he went through as a Soul Reaper and grit his teeth. "Dammit! This is all my fault!"

"How long are you gonna sulk in bed?"

The depressed Ichigo looked up to see Rukia standing in the doorway. "Rukia…."

"It's your fault, it's Kisuke's fault, it's Soi-Fon's fault, it's your dad's fault. It doesn't matter!" Rukia scolded as she sat down on the bed next to Ichigo. "No matter how it happened, it happened and couldn't have happened any other way. Ichigo, I know you're worried but shouldn't you have faith in your little sister?" she asked, concerned for her friend and lover.

"I do," Ichigo said as he sat up, holding Rukia close. He was glad he had her now that he was at his wits end. "But you know Yuzu just as well as me. She's kind, sweet and innocent. I don't want this kind of life for her."

Laying her head on Ichigo's shoulder, Rukia rubbed his back soothingly to calm him down. "It'll be alright, Ichigo. She'll be alright. Do you wanna know how I know?"

"Why?"

"Because she's heading back here today."

Ichigo stared at Rukia in shock. "TODAY?! Why didn't you tell me?"

Rukia shrugged and continued to hug Ichigo. "From what my brother said, it'll take her awhile to reach the Soul Society from the way she's returning. Also…" she kissed his cheek. "You look cute when you're flustered."

Brown eyes narrowed at the girl. "You're evil, you know that?"

"And you love me all the more for it…."

 _ **The Previous Day….  
**_ **Squad Zero**

"Yuzu!" Osho called out. He and the other members of Squad Zero were assembled in the entrance to the palace. "It's time to send you home. Are you ready?"

The little girl came running up to them with Senshumaru, dressed in her special clothing. She wore a stylish cap and a long cloak over her top, on her back was a bag full of cloth and recipes that Kirio and Senshumaru had given her. Gripping her zanpakuto, Yuzu nodded, eager to see her brother again. "Ready!"

"You be good, Zu-Yu!" Oh-Etsu said, patting her head. "You tell the captains we said hello!"

"Yuzu," Kirio, back to her obese size now after bulking up, handed her a small leather sack. "These have riceballs in them. Eat them if you get hungry on the trip back."

"Thank you," Yuzu said, accepting the gift. "But…aren't we using that pillar thingy?"

"No," Osho said, nodding to Senshumaru. "We cannot use the Tenchuren very often, so you'll have to go back to the Soul Society on foot. If you use your fastest Flashstep, you'll be there within two days."

Nodding, Yuzu walked to the edge of the platform as Senshumaru summoned the stairs, the pathway back to the Soul Society, to her captain and to her brother. Turning back to the members of Squad Zero, she ran back to them and gave each other them a warm hug. "Thank you!" she said to each one as she hugged them. After hugging Osho, she darted to the edge of the platform, swallowed the lump in her throat and jumped. "Bye Mr. Hyosube! Thanks for everything!" she called back before speeding down the stairs like a shooting star.

Scratching his beard, Osho smiled as his little student scampered off. To say his name and not have any repercussions…. "Yuzu, you are special indeed…" he softly said as he watched her disappear….

 _ **Back to the present….  
**_ **Sokyoku Hill**

Ichigo and Rukia ran across the bridge, meeting the assembled captains and lieutenants. "Wait, why are you guys all here?" he asked, out of fear that the first thing the Head-Captain would do was try to arrest her. He saw Captain Soi-Fon standing away from the group, staring up at the sky with hopeful eyes. He saw a small bag in her hand and wondered what was inside.

Kyoraku walked over to the two. "Well, it's not every day we see someone return from the King's Palace. Also," he leaned down and whispered into Ichigo's ear quietly, "A lot of us were interested in what sort of person your sister is to get on Captain Soi-Fon's good side." When Soi-Fon, hearing the man with her sharp hearing, turned and glared, Kyoraku cleared his throat and stood up straight.

"Captain Kyoraku," Rukia addressed. "Exactly how is Yuzu returning to the Soul Society?" She looked around at the barren wasteland that was the Sokyoku Hill. "How do you know she'll show up at this spot?"

"Well, our old friend Osho told us that this was the most likely spot that she would be when she returned. As for how she'll come back," he turned to Ichigo and smiled. "All I know is that she'll be making a bit of an entrance."

Soi-Fon, who kept her eyes looking up, gasped when she saw something coming towards them. "She's here!"

It was then that the group felt Yuzu's spiritual pressure. It wasn't exactly captain level, but it was still considerable enough to make them all look up in shock. Ichigo, looking up, widened his eyes when he saw a speck in the sky getting bigger. "Wait, is that-"

A large explosion erupted in the sky as the speck came into contact with the Shakonmaku barrier that surrounded the Seireitei. "Yuzu!" Soi-Fon called out, afraid that the girl had been vaporized by the barrier. But her dread turned to relief when she saw something speeding towards them.

"Yu…" Ichigo gasped when he saw his sister barreling straight toward him.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Yuzu screamed as she cometed right into Ichigo since she was unable to slow down, brother cushioning sister's impact. The two skidded a ways away from the crowd before they came to a stop. The group looked back up to see a large hole in the barrier, slowly closing up. "Owie!" Yuzu groaned as she sat up. Looking down, she saw who she'd landed on and gasped in happiness. "ICHIGO!" she yelled as she hugged his neck. "It's really you! I've missed you so much!" she said, on the verge of tears. She'd finally found her brother.

"Yuzu…" Ichigo groaned as he sat up, hugging his little sister. "Thank goodness. I've been worried sick…." The Soul Reapers watched as the two Kurosakis reunited in a touching scene. "How did you get here?" Ichigo finally asked after a minute. "And…" he looked Yuzu up and down as they got up. "What are you wearing?"

"Oh, these?" She gestured to her cloak, hat and new accessories. "Mr. Hyosube gave me these. He called it an Ǒken and said it would allow me to pass through the King's Palace back into the Soul Society unscathed."

Ichigo's jaw dropped. ' _Aizen tried to kill us all and wipe out Karakura Town to make an Ǒken and my sister is wearing one like it's the latest fashion statement!'_

The two were interrupted when Toshiro Hitsugaya walked over to them. "Yuzu, how exactly did you wind up in the Soul Society, if I may ask?"

Yuzu blinked. "Hey, aren't you that boy that Karin plays soccer with? The one she has a crush on?" Yuzu asked, making Toshiro gulp and blush in embarrassment.

"Captain…" Rangiku teased and smiled deviously, "What exactly were you up to when you were in the World of the Living?"

"Yes, Shiro," Momo asked, crossing her arms and scowling. "Tell us…."

"That's not important right now!" Toshiro barked. "And Momo, it's Captain Hitsugaya!" Turning back to Yuzu, he frowned. "Now then, if you'd please answer the question? We've all been wondering how exactly you came to be here."

Yuzu looked at the ground ashamed before turning to her brother. "Well…I saw Ichigo go through the portal in Urahara Shop's basement and I…wanted to know where he kept going all the time so I followed him and I ended up here as a result…."

Ichigo's response was another huge hug. "I'm sorry, Yuzu," he said as he hugged her. "This is all my fault. I should have known somebody was following me."

"It's okay. It's actually been kind of neat, learning how to be a Soul Reaper." She looked around at the individual faces of the captains and frowned. "Um…where's Captain Soi-Fon?"

A voice sneaked behind her. "Didn't I teach you to watch your back, Rookie?"

Whirling around, Yuzu's face lit up when she saw the woman who'd trained her first and foremost, Soi-Fon, standing behind her. "Captain!" she cried as she gave her a big hug. Soi-Fon blushed in embarrassment when she saw the looks on the other captains and vowed to castrate Kyoraku when this was over. Patting her head, Soi-Fon felt that gnawing inside her gut die quietly inside her. "It's good to see you, Yuzu." She reached out and felt the girl's spirit energy. "You've become much stronger than the last time I saw you."

Pulling away, Yuzu smiled happily at her teacher. "Yes, but if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it this far." She looked down worryingly when she saw the hardened look in the captain's eye. "I'm sorry. I should've told you that I wasn't who I said I was. I…I was scared and I didn't know where I was and-"

Soi-Fon interrupted her by putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yuzu, relax. If anything, I'm the one who should apologize. I should've realized that you weren't one of my recruits." Soi-Fon's memories flashed back to her training with Yuzu and the image of Yuzu on the ground, eye blackened, ribs cracked and covered in bruises. Her heart burned with shame at what she'd done. "I'm sorry for hurting you." She reached into her bag and pulled out Yuzu's school uniform, which she had mended. "Here. This is yours."

Smiling, Yuzu hugged Soi-Fon again, making the captains and lieutenants go "Awwwww…" at the touching scene when Soi-Fon hugged her back. "It's alright, Captain. You toughened me up, just like you said you would…."

The Head-Captain stepped out of the crowd towards the three. "Yuzu Kurosaki, I demand that you hand over your Ǒken to make sure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands." Yuzu, seeing the stern look in his eyes, gulped and removed her cap and cloak, handing them over to Yamamoto's lieutenant. "We will overlook your crimes this one time. Tomorrow, you will head back to the World of the Living where you belong."

Nodding and happy that her ordeal was almost over, Yuzu bowed in thanks. "Okay." She turned to Ichigo and Soi-Fon. "Um…since this is my last night, Captain-"

"Rookie, you're not one of my squad members," Soi-Fon gently admonished. "You can call me by my name."

Smiling with happiness, Yuzu nodded. "Okay. Um…Soi-Fon? Can I ask something since this is my last night here?"

"What is it?"

"Can I be the one who cooks for the squad tonight?"

 _ **Later that evening….  
**_ **Squad Two grounds**

Everyone dug in as Yuzu set the food out onto tables, using the recipes and techniques that Kirio taught her. The captains and lieutenants, interested in meeting this sweet, kind girl, were all gathered and began to eat the food she cooked. Soi-Fon put a cooked riceball in her mouth and ate it. As she swallowed it, her mind almost exploded from the flavor. ' _This is by far the best thing I've ever eaten in my life….'_

Yuzu sat down at the table with her brother, Soi-Fon and Rukia and watched them eat her cooking. "Well, what do you think?" she asked, hoping she didn't screw up badly.

From a far table came Rangiku's voice. "Captain, please, PLEASE let her stay! This is the best cooking I've ever tasted!"

"What she said," Renji said as he ate his plate. "Dammit, Ichigo! Why didn't you tell us your sister could cook like this? We'd have made her into a Soul Reaper instead of you!"

Ichigo deadpanned but knew his friend was praising his sister. He took a bite of a special cake she'd made for him and his could feel his taste buds go crazy. "Yuzu…you learned this?" he asked. "This is delicious!"

"Teehee!" Yuzu giggled. "Ms. Hikifune showed me how to do some of her best cooking. She couldn't teach me everything, 'cause I would have to get fat like she does to make the best food. But it was still loads of fun learning!" Both Ichigo and Soi-Fon were glad that Kirio didn't teach her to best stuff. They didn't think they could handle an obese Yuzu…. Turning to Soi-Fon, Yuzu's heart thumped in anticipation. "Um…Soi-Fon? How is it?"

Finishing her riceball, Soi-Fon looked at her protégé. "I was going to make you my Twentieth-Seated officer. If I'd known you could cook like this, I'd have made you our Squad's chef. Everything our cook makes is bland and tastes like crap!" Yuzu's heart leapt with happiness before realizing that she'd forgotten all about her appointed seat.

Soi-Fon saw the downtrodden look in her eyes and guessed at what was on her mind. "Don't worry, Rookie. Like I told you, I'm not mad. In fact…" Soi-Fon stood up and smiled mirthlessly at the girl. "I'm interested in how much you've toughened up over your stay with Squad Zero. Since you leave tomorrow, I think you should have one last nightly spar."

As Yuzu stood up and grabbed her zanpakuto, Ichigo's eyes widened in alarm and he glared in protest. "Soi-Fon, NO!" he shouted. "She's been through enough! Let her have some peace and quiet for one nig-"

"It's okay, Ichigo," Yuzu said, hugging her brother. "I want to show Soi-Fon that I'm not her little Rookie anymore."

The captains and lieutenants all turned around in their seats and watched as the two girls stepped into a sparring ring. Yuzu removed her nice scarf, tossing it to Ichigo and drew her zanpakuto. Soi-Fon cocked her head when she saw her steady stance. "Before this, you were trembling." She smiled when she saw the determined look in her eyes. "In that case…" she drew her sword and charged, locking blades with Yuzu. "I won't have to hold back."

Ichigo held his breath as his sister's sword clashed with Soi-Fon's. He drew his zanpakuto, ready to intervene if Soi-Fon took this too far. But what he'd underestimated what his sister's muscle memory. After a week of nightly sparring, Yuzu was familiar with Soi-Fon's fighting style and her training with Osho had honed her reflexes to the point where she could react much faster than before. Rukia noted that she wasn't exactly at Ichigo-level of proficient, or even Renji, but she smiled when she saw Yuzu fight back.

Yuzu's attacks were sharp and quick, the girl sliding left and right in order to avoid Soi-Fon's strikes. She ducked a horizontal strike and slid across the ground, aiming to take Soi-Fon's legs off. Jumping to avoid it, Soi-Fon backflipped away from Yuzu and landed ten feet away, keeping her guard up. Yuzu didn't attempt to charge her, she knew better than that and kept a low stance. "Excellent form, Yuzu," Soi-Fon praised. "Now I'm wishing you were one of my Squad members. You'd make a better lieutenant than Omaeda."

"Hey!" Omaeda shouted out, hurt by his captain's words. "That's not fair, she got super special training!"

"Please, she was able to handle a week of nonstop training with me." She turned her head and looked at her lieutenant with scorn. "You barely last a half hour when we spar." She turned her head to see Yuzu's sword coming at her head. Flashstepping away, Soi-Fon smirked at the gutsy move. "Surprise attack? I did teach you something."

Yuzu giggled in appreciation. "Thanks, Soi-Fon!"

Holding her sword, Soi-Fon scowled. "Don't get complacent! I may have taught you the Flashstep, but I didn't teach you everything there is to know about it!" Yuzu's eyes widened as she saw Soi-Fon become two…then six…then twelve…then twenty.

And they were all surrounding her.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted as the speed clones charged his sister. "No!" He moved to step into the ring but was blocked by Byakuya. "Byakuya! Move!"

"Let them continue," Byakuya advised, turning his head to address the boy. "Look at your sister's eyes. Do they look like the eyes of someone who is about to be defeated?" Ichigo turned and saw the determined look in Yuzu's eyes and saw her mouth moving.

Putting her hands on the ground, Yuzu finished her chant as the speed clones closed in around her. Just as the various blades, only one of which was real, came down on Yuzu's head, a prism of blue energy imprisoned her. Soi-Fon's sword slammed into it before she was forced to back away as spikes shot out of it, threatening to impale her. "Kidô, eh?" Soi-Fon was impressed. "And a barrier that is both offense and defense as well? Not bad, Rookie. Not bad at all." As the prism disintegrated around her, Soi-Fon held her sword out horizontally and ran her hand across it. "I'll will do you some credit and take you a little more seriously. You of all people should know by now about the full capabilities of my zanpakuto…." All of the assembled Soul Reapers gasped as Soi-Fon released her Shikai.

"Sting all enemies to death: Suzumebachi!"

Yuzu gulped when she saw her sword transform into the wicked stinger she'd painfully gotten to know during her training. Holding a hand out, Yuzu muttered another chant. "Hadô #33: So-" Her spell was interrupted when Soi-Fon Flashstepped behind her and stabbed her in the shoulder. Ichigo's heart came to a near stop when he saw a _Homonka_ mark form on her shoulder. "You should've learned that Kidô spells leave you wide open for an attack!" Soi-Fon admonished.

"Captain Soi-Fon!" Ukitake shouted. "This is going too far!"

"No!"

The captains turned to see Yuzu shaking her head. "It's alright. She won't be getting that second strike in," she said with adamant determination.

"Oh?" Soi-Fon looked at her protégé amused. "You seem rather confident, Rookie," she held up her stinger and flicked the few drops of Yuzu's blood from it. "Why the sudden change in attitude? Didn't I teach you not to be overconfident? The only reason I didn't get a second strike in during your training was because I was never aiming at the same spot twice."

"I know," Yuzu nodded, holding her sword up. "But now, I can finally show you the power of my zanpakuto!" Ichigo and Rukia gasped at the notion and the captains looked on with intrigue. "Cross the sky: Hikarugetsu!" The zanpakuto blinded everyone with brilliant silver light, revealing the saber's true form. "This is my zanpakuto: Hikarugetsu."

"Getsu…" Soi-Fon smiled as she removed her _Haori_ and sash, revealing her commander's outfit beneath. "Like brother, like sister, I suppose."

Yumichika looked at Ichigo with an amused face. "Are we SURE she's Ichigo's sister? That beautiful blade is certainly much more splendid than that grotesque hunk of metal he carries…."

"Shut up, Yumichika…."

Yuzu's Hikarugetsu glowed silvery-blue as she held it over her head. "Getsuga…Tensho!" A blast of energy erupted from the tip of the sword as she swung it. Soi-Fon was forced to dash away as the attack destroyed the tree standing behind her. Flashstepping to Yuzu's front, Soi-Fon blocked her next strike with her gauntlet, pushing her back.

"You should know that I've seen that move enough times, Yuzu, from watching your brother. That move won't work." She heard Yuzu muttering something and gasped when she saw a finger pointed at her.

"Byakurai!"

Soi-Fon grimaced as the attack grazed her shoulder. "Dammit!" Looking back at Yuzu she smirked. "Luring me in with a familiar attack. I take it back. I'm REALLY wishing I could replace you with Omaeda." The hapless Omaeda hit his head on the table as he cried….

Putting both hands on her zanpakuto, Yuzu grinned, happy to have earned Soi-Fon's admiration. She stabbed with her saber and a blue spear of energy shot out of it, making Soi-Fon dodge again. "Getsuga…." Ichigo stood there stunned as Yuzu brought her sword down, creating a line of blue energy before sideswiping, creating a cross-shaped technique. "Jujisho!" Again, Soi-Fon was forced to dodge the attack, watching as it devastated the ground beneath her. Looking back, she saw Yuzu gone and looked upward toward the sky, seeing Yuzu above her. "Getsuga…Rasensho!" This time a spiral wave shot out of the saber as she flicked her wrist.

Ichigo and the others watched as Soi-Fon was engulfed by the attack. "What the hell?!" Ichigo gasped when he saw his sister's techniques. "She can do all that?! How come?"

"Come to think of it," Byakuya mused. "All you can do is one singular technique. Quite shameful, considering all your experience as a Soul Reaper compared to hers."

"Hey, that's not fair! I can do loads of other stuff!"

Rukia looked at Ichigo amused. "Really? Like what?"

"Um…" Ichigo racked his brain but try as he might, he had to admit that the only technique he knew was Getsuga Tensho. "Dammit…."

Yuzu landed on the ground and kept her guard up. That last technique was still new to Yuzu so it didn't have that much power packed behind it. "Soi-Fon?"

The woman appeared from the cloud of dust, scuffed but unharmed. "Not bad, Rookie. But that one hardly stung. Is that really all your sword can do?" she teased.

Smiling, Yuzu pointed Hikarugetsu at her. "Nope! It's got one more special ability!" The blade glowed with silver light, obscuring its form. When it faded, the woman was surprised to see that the blade had morphed into a silver bow, with Yuzu drawing its string. "It's not just a blade. It's a bow!"

Suddenly Soi-Fon was under attack from a barrage of arrows. As Yuzu pulled back, her blue spirit energy manifested into a silver arrow before she released it. "A weapon that can go from close-range to long-range. That's actually quite impressive." But she was undeterred. "I'm proud of you, Yuzu…" she said, looking at her student with affection. "I think I understand why I like you so much…" she muttered, almost inaudibly. "Your chipper attitude, your versatility, your unbridled determination. It's almost like Lady Yoruichi's come back to me…."

"Huh?" Yuzu asked, confused. She hardly heard any of that and she wondered why Soi-Fon was looking at her so happily. "What did you say, Soi-Fon?"

"It's nothing, Yuzu. I suppose I can't call you Rookie anymore. You're not the scared little girl I found outside that shed anymore. But as strong as you are…" her spirit energy pulsed white as she activated her strongest ability, barring Bankai, "My pride as a captain won't allow myself to lose."

"Shunko!"

Ichigo gulped when Soi-Fon became wrapped in her ultimate technique. "Yuzu…."

Soi-Fon was surprised when Yuzu sealed her zanpakuto and sheathed it. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Holding out her hands, Yuzu concentrated as hard as she could. She'd seen her Shunko once before during her training and she'd asked Osho to tell her the essentials. Soi-Fon was shocked beyond all belief as the back of Yuzu's outfit was blasted off, revealing the white outfit she'd made with Senshumaru's cloth, mimicking Soi-Fon's outfit. Lightning crackled off her back as she stood there in her Shunko form.

Renji raised an eyebrow as he stood next to his captain. "Is it just me…or is Ichigo's sister a badass compared to him?"

"Shut up, Renji…" Ichigo sweatdropped.

"You learned Shunko?" Soi-Fon asked, stunned as her student walked toward her. "When? How could Osho and the others have taught you that? Only myself and Lady Yoruichi know the technique."

Yuzu blushed as she recalled her training, remembering how she'd been mortified when she'd been left topless when she'd first tried the technique under Osho's supervision. "Well…Mr. Hyosube told me how to do the technique and said since I had some proficiency with Kidô I had the ability to learn it." She readied her stance. "Here I come!" Ichigo held his breath once more as Yuzu charged her mentor. "Haaaaaaaah!" Soi-Fon stood there patiently before holding up a hand. Yuzu's fist slammed into it and in a sudden whirl of wind, her Shunko lightning dissipated. "Huh?" She realized that her Shunko had ended. "What just happened?"

"It appears Osho didn't teach you everything about Kidô. I negated your Shunko with one of my own by spinning it in the opposite direction. In short: My Shunko canceled out yours."

"Wow…" Yuzu panted, feeling dizzy. "You're…amazing…." Soi-Fon caught Yuzu as she collapsed, sealing her sword before sheathing it. Picking her up, she carried her back to the others. Captain Unohana rushed over to them along with Ichigo and Rukia.

"She's not hurt," she told them as Unohana went to work. "The exertion from her Shunko wore her out. Osho should've told her she's not ready for that level of technique…."

"Soi-Fon…." The group looked to see Yuzu, still awake if only barely, her eyes fluttering open. "Actually…um…he did tell me…I just…wanted to make you…proud…." That was all she said before falling asleep. "Zzzzzzz…."

Smirking, Soi-Fon ran a hand across Yuzu's cheek, caressing it. "I am proud, Yuzu…." Ichigo saw the look in Soi-Fon's eyes and smiled, glad that things between the two were okay. "Ichigo, may I ask something?" Soi-Fon asked, her gaze turning to the boy.

"What is it?"

 _ **Later that night….**_

 __Yuzu sat up, feeling exhausted. "Where am I?" she muttered as she rubbed her eyes.

"You're back in your room at Squad Two."

The girl gasped as Soi-Fon came into view, the captain sitting on the edge of the bed. "Captain!"

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that? You're not one of my squad members," she gently admonished. "Still, that Shunko may have been infantile but it was impressive to say the least. You've changed from that little girl I found that day…" she said, remembering when she'd found her.

Yuzu looked at the bedsheets, ashamed at her deception. "I'm sorry…I should've told you earlier. I was just…so scared…."

Moving closer, Soi-Fon shook her head. "No, I'm the one who should apologize. I should have realized that you were the Ryoka. I would've been able to alert your brother and send you home where you belonged. Instead, I threw you at a hollow and beat you black and blue for a week. You endured something that you should never have gone through. The thing I want to know is…why?" She looked at Yuzu confused. "You could've told me at any point that you were an imposter during your training in order to make it end. So why didn't you?" she asked out of curiosity.

Yuzu was silent for a moment before answering, looking up at Soi-Fon with eyes full of emotion. "I…wanted to. It hurt really bad when you hit me or stabbed me with Suzumebachi. But…part of me wanted to know more about being a Soul Reaper. And I…" she blushed as she looked away. "I was in awe of you. You were so tough, so strong and so brave. Part of me wanted to be just like you."

Chuckling, Soi-Fon hugged her, running a hand through her hair softly. "You _are_ brave and strong. Nobody less could've earned my respect the way you did. And you were even able to put up a good fight tonight. When I saw you perform Shunko…I was so proud of you…." She hugged her even tighter as Yuzu wrapped her arms around her. "I…know I should never become friends with a subordinate but…I was worried for you when I'd found out you had wound up in the Royal Realm."

"I was scared," Yuzu said as she hugged the woman. She'd wondered if this was what it was like to have a big sister. It felt nice. It made her feel warm inside. "That whole time I was there, whenever I was tired and didn't want to keep training. I thought of you and it helped me keep going. And it's like you said. I'm not one of your Squad members so…we can be friends."

Soi-Fon looked at Yuzu for a very long time, the two locking eyes. Soi-Fon had long since abandoned the notion of friendship when Yoruichi had abandoned her and she didn't really treat her like a friend, more like a goddess. This was a first. Perhaps it was time for her to loosen up a little. "I'd like that…."

Hugging her again, Yuzu could feel the exhaustion creep up on her again. "Um…Soi-Fon? Can you stay with me tonight?" she asked with a blushing face.

Chuckling, Soi-Fon hugged her back and scooted over, pulling her close and pulled the blanket over them. "Get some rest, Yuzu. You've earned it."

"Thanks…Soi-Fon…." Yuzu whispered as she fell back asleep, her head pressed against Soi-Fon's chest. The small woman looked down at her new friend and smiled before falling asleep shortly afterwards….

To be continued….


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
YuzuXSoi-Fon

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.**

 _ **The Next Morning….  
**_ **Soul Society Senkaimon**

Ichigo stood in front of the massive gate. "Yuzu, you ready?"

The Kurosaki sister came running up to her brother. "Ready!" Beside her strolled Captain Soi-Fon, who seemed slightly happier than usual. "But…why am I wearing my school uniform?" she asked, dressed in her mended uniform once again.

Yuzu's question came when a black cat came trotting up to her. "It's because you're a complete spiritual being right now. When you came through Kisuke's Senkaimon, you were affected by his Reishi convergence machine. Your physical matter became Reishi. When you exit through his Senkaimon once again, you'll be a Human once more. You won't be wearing a Soul Reaper's _shihakusho_ anymore. That's why you'll want to wear your Human clothes. And…" Yoruichi stopped when she saw Yuzu staring at her in awe. "What?"

"KITTY!" Yuzu squealed as she picked up Yoruichi and hugged her. "ICHIGO! IT'S A TALKING KITTY! CAN I KEEP IT? CAN I? PLEASE? PLEASE? PLEASE?" she begged, looking at her brother and captain with puppy-dog eyes.

"Uh…I don't think you can keep it, Yuzu. That cat's actually a person." Ichigo scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Where've you been, Yoruichi?"

"Informing Kisuke and Isshin of our arrival. Now if you please, dear, put me down?" Yoruichi asked quietly. After Yuzu set her down, she walked over to the Senkaimon. "Okay. Ready to go?"

"Wait."

The three turned to see Soi-Fon walking up to Yuzu. "Take this." Yuzu looked down and saw a small slip of paper in her hand. "I got permission from the Head-Captain to give this to you. It's a Soul Pass. It'll allow you to enter the Soul Society freely. It also has the same abilities as your brother's combat pass. Press it against yourself if you need to turn into a Soul Reaper." Patting her head, Soi-Fon smiled at her protégé. "If you need me, just say the word and I'll come to your aid, Yuzu. I promise."

Yuzu looked at the pass for a moment and then back to Soi-Fon. "Thank you, Soi-Fon." The little girl hugged the small captain, who hugged her little Rookie back one last time. "I'll see you later," Yuzu said leaning up and kissing her cheek. "Bye!" Yuzu waved as she, Yoruichi and Ichigo walked through the Senkaimon.

Soi-Fon touched her cheek and smiled, her cheeks a light pink. "Goodbye…my little Rookie." Turning around, she saw to her astonishment all of the other captains standing behind her, all grinning. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?!"

The other captains merely chuckled and shook their heads.

 _ **Meanwhile….  
**_ **Urahara Shop Underground Chamber**

Kisuke stood in front of his Senkaimon and waited, watching it open up. In a matter of minutes, the three individuals ran through the exit, returning to the World of the Living. He saw that Yuzu had returned to being a normal Human, her zanpakuto gone as her body became physical matter once more. "Greetings, Yuzu!" Kisuke greeted. "I heard you had quite the trip. I'd just like to say-"

"YUZU!"

"DAD!"

Kisuke was knocked to the ground by a rushing Isshin, who ran to his daughter. Ichigo and Yoruichi watched as Isshin picked his daughter up and hugged her tightly, crying tears of joy. "Welcome home, Yuzu…."

"Hi Daddy…" Yuzu sobbed, happy to be in her father's arms once more. "I'm so sorry. You must've been worried sick."

Running a hand through his daughter's hair, Isshin merely smiled as he hugged his daughter tight. "It's alright. You're home safe now. That's all that matters." Looking up, he turned to the black cat staring at them. "Yoruichi. Thank you for bringing my little girl home."

Yoruichi nodded before going to go see how Kisuke was doing with the lump on the side of his head. Ichigo, meanwhile, walked over to his dad and sister and smiled. "C'mon. We should get going. Karin's gonna get worried if all three of us are missing."

"Oh!" Yuzu gasped. "That's right! How is Karin doing?"

"She's fine. I told her you'd gotten into an accident and was at a hospital nearby. She kept insisting on trying to go see you but I was able to talk her down when I said you weren't allowed visitors yet."

Ichigo cocked his head. "And she bought that?"

"I had my friend Ryuken back me up on that."

Taking hold of her brother's hands, Yuzu looked up at her family and smiled. "C'mon. Let's go home! I need to get ready to make dinner tonight!" Nodding, Ichigo and Isshin left with Yuzu, the three Kurosakis heading for their home. Yuzu smiled as she walked down the street, her home coming in sight for the first time in what felt like forever.

Everything was back to normal now….

 _ **A week later….  
**_ **Karin's soccer game**

"Go, Karin!" Yuzu cheered as she sat underneath a shady tree. Karin had been ecstatic to see Yuzu again, giving her a rare hug when she walked into the room. After a delicious meal, Yuzu had retired to her room for the night, feeling how odd it was to be back in her own bed after sleeping on hard mats and hammocks for almost a month. But after a brief adjustment, Yuzu was back in her normal life again, her brother having to help her catch up on her schoolwork.

As for her Soul Reaper powers, well, against Ichigo's wishes she would sometimes pop out of her body with her Soul Ticket and head into the woods, going through the excercises her mentors drilled into her to keep up her strength. She had yet to encounter a hollow but she wasn't worried, confident in her skills.

Still, it was odd for Yuzu to watch Karin play soccer with her friends, realizing how strnage it was to live a normal life after what she'd went through. "I wonder if Ichigo feels like this."

"Didn't I teach you to watch your back, Rookie?"

Yuzu giggled. "I did. That's why my back's to the tree."

"But what about _behind_ the tree?" Soi-Fon asked as she stepped away from the back of the tree, dressed in a gigai Yoruichi gave her. Sitting down next to Yuzu, she patted her shoulder. "You could sense me even in your human state. I'm impressed."

"Teehee!" Yuzu giggled again, smiling at her friend. "Won't you get in trouble coming here, Soi-Fon?"

Smiling, Soi-Fon sat back against the tree. "Not really. I asked your brother if it would be alright if I could visit you from time to time. He didn't mind. And I can enter the World of the Living as long as I inform the Head-Captain. My lieutenant can keep things in line." She turned her head and smiled at the young girl she had befriended. "May I…come over to dinner for tonight?"

Nothing could've made Yuzu happier in that moment. "Of course! You really like my cooking?"

"Yuzu, I'm addicted to it."

The two girls laughed. Ichigo, walking up to the soccer team with Rukia's hand in his, after being given Byakuya's blessing, saw Yuzu laying her head in Soi-Fon's lap as they continued to watch Karin and her friends play, master and student having become the best of friends….

 _ **10 Years Later….  
**_ **Squad 2**

"You're back, Captain?" a squad member gasped as Soi-Fon strolled through the gates, intimidating as ever. "You eliminated the hollow?"

"Of course I did." She turned to her new bodyguard. "Actually, SHE did."

Yuzu, dressed in a Soul Reaper's _shihakusho,_ blushed as her captain praised her. She bowed in front of everyone before following Soi-Fon back to the captain's quarters. "So what do you want for dinner, Soi-Fon?"

"Hmmm…some of those grilled fishballs would be nice," Soi-Fon suggested.

Yuzu beamed. "Splendid!"

After Yuzu had turned eighteen, she'd asked her father and Ichigo if she could go back to the Soul Society to join Soi-Fon's squad. After seeing her determination and drive, Ichigo and Isshin decided to relent, seeing how close she was to Soi-Fon. The captain was thrilled, though she didn't show it, to have her Rookie back, automatically giving her the Squad's open fifth-seat, after another spar in front of the squad to demonstrate her skill. But Yuzu was much more than just a fifth-seat….

Officially, she was Soi-Fon's personal cook. Unofficially she was Soi-Fon's lover.

Yuzu and Soi-Fon, who'd bonded over the years as Soi-Fon came over regularly to spend time with Yuzu, their friendship blooming into something more. It'd been an odd moment for Yuzu when she realized she was attracted to another woman, something she'd have expected from her tomboy sister, but Soi-Fon had accepted her with open arms, having fallen for the girl she'd trained so many years ago.

After a short hour of cooking, Yuzu set out the delicious food onto the small table. "Soi-Fon! Dinner!"

Stepping out of the shower, dressed in a small robe, Soi-Fon gave the girl a small smile that few would ever live to see. "Not bad, Yuzu. Let's eat…."

The End


End file.
